Manchester City held concrete transfer talks to sign Bayern Munich midfielder Aleksandar Pavlović in March and were prepared to pay at least €100m (£85.8m) to secure his signature. According to Christian Falk in his Bayern Insider column for Bild, the 22-year-old German international was City's absolute priority to replace Rodri, who had departed for Barcelona. Despite City's willingness to negotiate a package beyond the initial €100m mark, Pavlović ultimately rejected the approach. Because the midfielder made it clear he would not move to Manchester, City never submitted a formal bid to Bayern Munich.
Why Pavlović rejected Manchester City
According to Falk, Manchester City officials were "flabbergasted" when Pavlović declined the opportunity. The midfielder, who came through the academy at Bayern Munich and is under contract until June 2029, was determined to remain at his boyhood club. His deep roots in Bavaria, a strong ambition to win the Champions League with Bayern, and his positive working relationship under manager Vincent Kompany—ironically a former Manchester City captain—all influenced his decision. Since Pavlović made his first-team breakthrough, he has established himself as a central figure in Munich, leaving City to look elsewhere.
Midfield rebuild under Enzo Maresca
Following the collapsed pursuit of the German international, Manchester City pivoted to alternative targets to rebuild their midfield engine room under new manager Enzo Maresca. City subsequently completed a £85.6m deal for Lille's highly rated youngster Ayyoub Bouaddi, alongside massive outlays for Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116m and Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea for £125m. While those arrivals have completed a substantial squad overhaul, the revelation of the abortive Pavlović approach highlights how highly City valued the Bayern youth product before committing to their alternative, record-breaking recruits.
