Manchester City apparently was desperate to sign Aleksandar Pavlovic. The Premier League club was even willing to pay up to 100 million euros. Now, further details are emerging.
Manchester City’s interest in Aleksandar Pavlovic was apparently even more concrete than previously known. It has been clear for some time that the top English club had its eye on the FC Bayern midfielder. Now, new details reveal just how serious the Citizens actually were about signing the German national team player.
According to Sky, Manchester City was “very, very, very interested” in Pavlovic. Efforts to sign the 22-year-old reportedly began as early as last spring. City’s sporting director, Hugo Viana, is said to have played a decisive role in this. The Portuguese executive reportedly held several phone conversations regarding a potential transfer and was determined to bring Pavlovic to Manchester.
What is particularly noteworthy is the importance the Bayern pro held in the Premier League club’s plans. According to Sky, Pavlovic was a higher priority for Manchester City than Enzo Fernández. This means the Munich-raised player was apparently one of the club’s top choices for central midfield.
Man City was prepared to pay a massive transfer fee
Financially, too, Manchester City would have been willing to go to great lengths. The club reportedly signaled its willingness to pay up to 100 million euros for Pavlovic. FC Bayern was informed of the approach and the scale of the offer. In the end, however, no concrete negotiations regarding a sale took place because Pavlovic himself made a clear decision.
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The Munich native did not want to leave his hometown and turned down the offer from the top English club. His reasoning is clear: “I’m a Bavarian, I’m from Munich, and I want to stay with FC Bayern.”
This also confirms what had already become known last spring regarding the spectacular transfer bid. According to Sport BILD, Manchester City had already inquired about Pavlovic back in March 2026 and offered a transfer fee in the range of 100 million euros. Although the midfielder considered the offer, he ultimately decided to stay with FC Bayern.
Particularly noteworthy: Pavlovic apparently didn’t even use his strong negotiating position to push for a pay raise in Munich. According to Sport BILD, his contract—which runs through 2029—remained on the same terms as before. His annual salary is estimated at around eight million euros. Despite the lucrative interest from England, Pavlovic is said not to have demanded a higher salary.