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

Munich—Aleksandar Pavlović’s rapid rise from academy hopeful to midfield cornerstone at FC Bayern München is no accident. The 20-year-old credits two Spanish masters for the roadmap: Manchester City’s Rodri and Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets.

In a recent interview circulated by @iMiaSanMia, Pavlović laid bare the influences shaping his game. “In recent years Rodri has defined the number-six position at Manchester City and he even won the Ballon d’Or,” Pavlović noted. “Rodri is a world-class defensive midfielder, even if he has unfortunately had some bad luck with injuries recently.” The Bayern youngster highlighted Rodri’s role in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph as proof of the City star’s dominance.

Pavlović’s admiration for Busquets runs even deeper. “Sergio Busquets was also a real role model for me as a child,” he explained. “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.”

Bayern insiders say the youngster’s maturity—poise under press, tactical scanning, and relentless ball-winning—already places him among the top 10 central midfielders on the planet. The club’s coaching staff believe modeling his craft after two of the position’s all-time greats accelerates that trajectory, while veteran Joshua Kimmich’s daily guidance sharpens Pavlović’s distribution and game management.

As Bayern chase silverware on multiple fronts, the Bundesliga leaders are increasingly comfortable deploying the young Serbian as their midfield anchor, trusting that the lessons learned from Rodri and Busquets will continue to translate into commanding performances at the highest level.