One of the areas where Chelsea urgently need to strengthen is centre-back. Enzo Maresca asked for another option there, going back to last summer when Levi Colwill got injured. His request was overlooked. And in hindsight, that was an error as the Blues have struggled defensively all season. That might very well have been one of the contributing factors to the Italian coach walking away in the middle of the campaign.
In January, it had looked like Chelsea were finally going to address the issue. But they did not. Instead, they brought back Mamadou Sarr, cutting short his loan spell at Strasbourg. He has barely made an impact, and with Liam Rosenior no longer the manager, he is not expected to either.
This summer, Chelsea cannot afford to repeat that mistake again. A centre-back must be signed and a quality one at that.
Fortunately, if reports coming out of Italy are on the mark, then Chelsea might be preparing to make a move for one of Serie A’s best defenders. Who is that?
Chelsea preparing move for AC Milan centre-back
According to Calciomercato, AC Milan are working on extending Strahinja Pavlovic’s contract until 2031. But Chelsea are apparently poised to submit an offer for the centre-back in the coming weeks.
Pavlovic is 24 years of age and a nailed-on starter for AC Milan. And he would fit the criteria for ‘ready-made’ players Chelsea are looking to sign this summer.
Now, it remains to be seen if Chelsea do end up making a move for the centre-back. A number of players have left Stamford Bridge for San Siro in recent times. Names like Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix and Fikayo Tomori come to mind immediately. Could Pavlovic head in the opposite direction?
Would Pavlovic be the right signing?
On paper, it does feel like someone like Pavlovic could be an excellent signing. He is about to enter his prime years. But he already has top-level experience at club and international level, where he has appeared 54 times for Serbia.
He is also left-footed. So, one has to wonder whether he would be brought in to partner Levi Colwill or compete with him. Of course, that is a thought for the future, if a move does happen.
At the same time, one also has to wonder if he would be able to make the jump from Serie A to the Premier League. The pace is very different and not everybody goes through an easy transition.
