Unai Emery needs to improve his defence at Aston Villa this summer and he could sign a ‘destroyer’ to rival Ezri Konsa.
Following a fantastic campaign at Aston Villa, Ezri Konsa has just starred for England in their Euro 2024 quarter-final clash against Switzerland.
The 26-year-old seamlessly slotted into the defence to replace the suspended Marc Guehi and having helped England book their place in the semi-finals against the Netherlands, he deserves to keep his spot in the starting XI.
Whilst Gareth Southgate is handed a selection headache ahead of Wednesday’s semi-final, Unai Emery needs reinforcements to improve his defence at Aston Villa.
Although Konsa flourished under the Spaniard’s guidance last term, Villa’s tally of 61 goals conceded was more than relegation-threatened Everton.
Emery has already bolstered his squad with talent, including Ian Maatsen, Ross Barkley, Enzo Barrenchea, Samuel Iling-Junior and Lewis Dobbin, but there now has to be a focus on the defence.
Aston Villa should sign Euro 2024 star Strahinja Pavlovic
As reported by TEAMtalk, Villa have been linked with a move for Red Bull Salzburg centre-back Strahinja Pavlovic, along with Premier League rivals Newcastle United and Chelsea.
Pavlovic is valued at around £25 million, and although no bid has been put forward by any club as of yet, Emery could land a bargain with the 23-year-old.
The Serbian stalwart recently starred for his country at Euro 2024 and whilst they finished bottom of their group, the talented centre-back did keep Harry Kane quiet when Serbia met England as Jude Bellingham’s goal separated the two sides.
On the back of that tournament and his impressive campaign for Salzburg, where he made 26 appearances in the Austrian Bundesliga, Pavlovic could now be ready to tackle the Premier League.
After all, his physical attributes, including his ability in the air, strength and power have seen him flourish against defenders across Europe’s big leagues. As highlighted by FBref, the 38-cap international ranks in the top 10% for tackles and the top 18% for aerials won.
There’s no wonder that talent scout Antonio Mango has labelled him a “destroyer” for his “aggressive” performances.
Why Strahinja Pavlovic could flourish at Aston Villa
Despite qualifying for the Champions League in 2023/24, it is clear that Emery needs to improve his defence and Pavlovic could be the perfect rival for Konsa.
In the past, we’ve seen physically commanding defenders such as Virgil van Dijk and Ruben Dias acclimatize to the Premier League very well.
Standing at 6 foot 4, Pavlovic promises to be no different as his stocky build and height would see him exceed the physical demands required.
Villa currently have four senior centre-backs who have futures at the club, with Pau Torres, Diego Carlos, Konsa and Tyrone Kings all options.
Torres starred on the left side of the defence for Emery while Konsa was either used as a right-sided centre back or right. On the occasions Konsa played as a right-back, Carlos would start centrally.
The Villans need to add competition for the Englishman and in Pavlovic, they’d sign someone who would provide that in abundance.
