Aleksandar Pavlovic Turns Down €100 Million Move to Manchester City
Aleksandar Pavlovic has turned down one of the most expensive midfield rebuilds football has seen.
According to Bild, Manchester City had the Bayern Munich midfielder at the top of their list as early as March. At 22, Pavlovic was identified as the preferred long-term option in the heart of City’s midfield, and the club were prepared to go as high as €100 million to get him. The problem? He simply did not want to leave Bavaria.
Guardiola’s exit, Maresca’s push
By spring, the situation at City was already shifting. Inside the club it was understood that Pep Guardiola would step down, with Enzo Maresca lined up to take over. The Italian, fresh from his work at Leicester, didn’t just sign off on Pavlovic as a target. He tried to drive the move himself.
Maresca made a personal effort to convince the Germany international, but hit a brick wall. Pavlovic categorically ruled out a transfer to England, and with his stance crystal clear, City never even put an official offer on Bayern’s table.
City moved on. Reluctantly, but they had no choice.
Midfield torn apart
What followed was a summer of upheaval in Manchester. City’s midfield, once the most stable unit in Europe, was ripped apart in a single window.
- Rodri left for Barcelona.
- Bernardo Silva joined Real Madrid.
- Tijjani Reijnders headed to Al-Qadsiah.
- Nico Gonzalez moved to Newcastle.
Four major departures, four big roles to fill.
For a long stretch of the window, City’s response looked oddly thin. Elliot Anderson arrived from Nottingham Forest for €135 million, a huge fee and, for weeks, the only major reinforcement in central areas. The squad looked light, the balance uncertain.
Then the late scramble began. Just before the window closed, City pushed through deals for Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for €95 million and Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea for €145 million. Three new central midfielders, a combined outlay of €375 million, all to reshape a department that had once revolved around Rodri’s calm and Bernardo’s craft.
The one man they had wanted first, though, stayed put.
Bayern’s homegrown anchor
Pavlovic is not just another name in Bayern’s squad list. A product of the club’s own academy, he has climbed through the ranks in Munich and forced his way into the first team. Last season he made 44 competitive appearances for Bayern, scoring four goals and providing two assists.
His progress hasn’t gone unnoticed at international level either. Germany handed him his debut in June 2024, and he has already collected 15 caps. For a player still only 22, that is a rapid rise and a clear sign of trust from both club and country.
City saw that profile and moved early. Bayern saw it too and held their ground. Pavlovic, for his part, chose continuity, responsibility and a central role in Munich over a blockbuster move to the Premier League.
City will march into a new era under Maresca with a rebuilt, wildly expensive midfield. Pavlovic will walk out at the Allianz Arena as the homegrown midfielder who turned down €100 million interest to stay at Bayern. Only the season ahead will reveal which decision shapes European midfield battles more.
