Strahinja Pavlovic

I asked ChatGPT for a summary of him, it gave me this:

Strahinja Pavlović: Player Overview​


Strahinja Pavlović is a Serbian centre-back, 1.94 m tall, known for his physical dominance and aggressive style of defending. After breaking through at Partizan, he gained experience across Monaco, Basel, and Red Bull Salzburg before moving to AC Milan in 2024.


Strengths​


  • Physical presence: Strong in duels, relishes contact, and isn’t afraid to step out of the defensive line to win the ball.
  • Aerial ability: Excellent in the air, both defensively and as a set-piece threat.
  • Distribution: Comfortable on the ball, especially as a left-footed option on the left side of a back four.
  • Tackling: Assertive in challenges, often wins the ball cleanly.

Weaknesses​


  • Concentration: Prone to lapses that can lead to costly mistakes.
  • Discipline: Can be overly aggressive, risking fouls or cards.
  • Decision-making: Sometimes commits too early when stepping out, leaving gaps behind.


Replacing Marc Guéhi at Crystal Palace​


Marc Guéhi offers calmness, positional intelligence, and leadership — qualities that have made him the defensive cornerstone at Palace. Losing him would mean replacing not only a defender but also a leader.


Pavlović would bring a different profile: more imposing, aerially dominant, and aggressive, but less composed and reliable than Guéhi. His left-footed balance could improve Palace’s build-up play, and his physicality would suit Oliver Glasner’s pressing system. However, his riskier temperament and occasional focus issues would need to be managed carefully, ideally alongside a steadier partner.


Financially, Pavlović would likely command £25–40m, making him a significant investment. Palace are also hedging with younger options like Jaydee Canvot, while considering experienced short-term fixes such as Manuel Akanji.



Summary​


  • Guéhi: Composed, disciplined, and positionally sound — a stabilising influence.
  • Pavlović: Aggressive, aerially dominant, and progressive with the ball — but higher risk.

If signed, Pavlović wouldn’t be a like-for-like replacement but rather a stylistic shift, giving Palace more power and aerial presence at the cost of some composure and consistency.
 
Maybe Akanji to Milan has allowed this to happen - if indeed there’s enough time to tie this off.

I think Ollie’s going to need some serious sweet talking to keep him on board though.
 
Signing a proper replacement for Guehi would make the sale look more sensible.

If we are settling for Igor, then that seems unsatisfactory. We won't know until games have been played.

As a supporter, on is often torn between trusting the board and wondering about the wisdom of letting key players go.

I would have accepted the sale of Guehi for the money more easily had we not have sold Eze. The club clearly thinks that it can't afford to miss out on income from sales of top players and prioritizes that over potential negative effects on the field.

The key factor is replacement.
 
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