Last season, at 19 years of age, Aleksandar Pavlovic was the find of the season for Bayern Munich. With Bayern having been unable to secure the transfer of João Palhinha during last year’s summer transfer window, Pavlovic was initially relied upon to provide depth in central/defensive midfield behind the likes of Joshua Kimmich, Konrad Laimer, and Leon Goretzka.
After Joshua Kimmich was moved to the right-back position during the second half of the season, more chances opened up in midfield for Pavlovic. The young defensive midfielder didn’t waste these opportunities presented to him. As the season progressed, he eventually cemented a place in the starting lineup as one-half of the midfield double pivot.
Pavlovic's performances, notably in big games, during the second half of last season were so impressive that he earned selection to the German national team ahead of Euro 2024. It was unfortunate for both him and Germany that he had to drop out of the squad since he was struggling with tonsilitis.
With João Palhinha having joined Bayern ahead of the 2024/25 season and expected to live up to his status as a world-class defensive-midfielder, capable of effectively shielding the back four, Aleksandar Pavlovic would effectively be competing with Kimmich, Laimer and possibly even Goretzka for the other starting central/defensive midfield position. Let us now look at the prospects for the 20-year Aleksandar Pavlovic at Bayern.