Milan Working to Keep Stalwart for the Long Haul | OneFootball

With the transfer market now in the rearview mirror, Milan will start focusing on some extensions, and Strahinja Pavlovic is high on their list of priorities. The Serbian international has quickly earned the trust of Ruben Amorim as well, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports.

He’s one of the only two players who haven’t missed a minute so far this season. The other is his defensive partner, Koni de Winter, who has, surprisingly, unseated Matteo Gabbia, likely because of his superior athleticism.

Pavlovic has two more years on his Milan contract, which currently lasts until 2028. His salary is low relative to his steady contribution, as he pockets €1.7M annually. The parties will soon begin working on a new deal until 2031 at around €3/3.5M wages.

The center-back had a rocky start at San Siro after coming in from RB Salzburg for €18.5M. He struggled, like most of the team, under Paulo Fonseca and Sergio Conceiçao. He almost moved to Turkey a few months after arriving.

The appointment of Massimiliano Allegri and the switch to a three-man defense turned things around, as he’s never left the starting XI in the last two campaigns and has been increasingly reliable. He has also been a factor offensively, notching 7 goals and 4 assists in 79 appearances. He and the club quickly rejected some approaches from England last summer.

Our Take on Milan and Pavlovic

Sometimes a little patience and the right system is all it takes for a player to play up to his full potential. He’s young-ish for his role, and he’s making peanuts for top-team standards, so it shouldn’t be difficult to reach an agreement on a bumper contract.