Bayern Munich’s Aleksandar Pavlović inspired by Rodri and Sergio Busquets

Bayern Munich’s Aleksandar Pavlović is a star.

With his consistent performances in midfield and constant evolution into a complete midfield general, the player has shown maturity, poise, and grit in his game, elevating him to the category of the elite, i.e., midfield royalty.

Yes, Pavlović is among the top 10 central midfielders in the world. Argue with a wall.

Part of the reason why he is such an exquisite footballer could be attributed to who he models his game around, who inspires him. In an interview (captured by @iMiaSanMia), Pavlović revealed that Rodri and Sergio Busquets, two Spanish legends who plied their trade for Manchester City and Barcelona, respectively, are the players he looks up to.

He elaborated, “In recent years, Rodri has defined the number six position at Manchester City and he even won the Ballon d’Or. Rodri is a world-class defensive midfielder, even if he has unfortunately had some bad luck with injuries recently.” All facts. Rodri was incredible when Manchester City were at their best, and he was instrumental to Spain’s 2024 Euro-winning campaign.

On Sergio Busquets, the player had even more praise to dish out: “Sergio Busquets was also a real role model for me as a child. He was indispensable in that position at Barcelona for years. Busquets was very strong both with and without the ball, was always available and always had one eye on his surroundings. He was also very solid defensively and put in a lot of legwork on the pitch. A real figurehead.”

It is fantastic to see how grounded Pavlović is. He is also modeling his game around legends of the sport, some of the best in history in their respective positions. Of course, it is fantastic to also have Joshua Kimmich by his side to mentor him and mould him into a complete midfielder while honing his playmaking abilities.

Bayern’s future is incredibly bright.