FC Porto vs Stuttgart in Race for Dzenan Pejcinovic
The race for Dzenan Pejcinovic has become a straight sprint between tradition and temptation. On one side, VfB Stuttgart, Champions League-bound and emotionally close to the striker’s roots. On the other, FC Porto, serial European participants with a reputation for turning forwards into stars – and selling them on for a fortune.
In Wolfsburg, they are simply waiting for someone to pay up.
Wolfsburg hold firm as bids fall short
According to Bild, Porto have already made the first move, tabling an opening offer of around €23 million. Wolfsburg’s answer was swift and blunt: no.
Relegation has not forced panic in Lower Saxony. Pejcinovic is under contract until 2029, and VfL have set the bar at a minimum of €25 million for the 21-year-old Germany Under-21 international. Anything below that goes straight in the bin.
Porto are not walking away. A second bid from the Portuguese champions is expected, with the club determined to land a central striker despite already bringing Andre Silva back from Elche this summer.
Stuttgart know that feeling well. They, too, have already bounced off Wolfsburg’s valuation. VfB’s last proposal – a total package worth about €18 million – was rejected. Bild now reports that Stuttgart are preparing a new offer of €22 million, still likely to fall short of Wolfsburg’s demand and now undercut by Porto’s financial muscle.
Wolfsburg, suddenly, are in a strong seller’s position for a player in a relegated squad.
Stuttgart’s dream signing – and a coach’s irritation
For Stuttgart, Pejcinovic is not just an option. He is described as a dream signing. A centre-forward for the present and the Champions League nights to come, regardless of what happens with Ermedin Demirovic.
That last part has already caused friction.
When Sky suggested that coach Sebastian Hoeneß was open to selling Demirovic, interest quickly circled from clubs such as Fenerbahce and Juventus. The narrative of “Demirovic out, Pejcinovic in” gathered pace.
Hoeneß hit back in Bild.
"I was irritated and, to be honest, also annoyed by some of what was discussed there," he said, making his stance clear. His view on Demirovic was unambiguous: "My goal is always to have the best players at VfB and Medo is one of our best players."
Up front, Stuttgart are not short of quality. Demirovic and, above all, Deniz Undav already give them two high-class starters. Jeremy Arevalo arrived in January as a challenger, though the Ecuadorian still needed time to adapt in his first six months. Jovan Milosevic has returned from loans at Partizan Belgrade and Werder Bremen to offer a fourth option, even if the expectation is that the Serb will move on again.
So Stuttgart do not need a striker. They want this striker.
If Pejcinovic arrives, Hoeneß would walk into the Champions League with rare depth at number nine – a luxury VfB have not often enjoyed.
A striker on the rise – and pulled in two directions
Pejcinovic has earned this tug-of-war.
After joining Wolfsburg from Augsburg’s Under-19s in 2022, and a loan to Fortuna Düsseldorf in 2024/25 that was disrupted by a second metatarsal fracture, last season finally brought the breakthrough. Across 34 appearances in all competitions, he scored 12 goals and turned himself from prospect into asset.
Now he wants out after Wolfsburg’s relegation – but not out of the country.
Bild reports that Stuttgart remain his preferred destination. The sporting package fits: Champions League football, a club that plays on the front foot, and a coach who trusts young attackers. The geography helps too. A move to Stuttgart would bring him closer to Munich, where he grew up and came through Bayern’s youth ranks before switching to Augsburg at 12.
Porto can offer the Champions League as well. What they cannot offer is a top-five league every weekend or proximity to home. For a 21-year-old looking at the next step rather than the final one, those details matter.
Yet Porto’s pitch carries its own weight. This is a club that has made a habit of polishing forwards and selling them on to the very top. They have already moved in, while Stuttgart are still trying to find the number that makes Wolfsburg blink.
Porto, the familiar spoiler
There is another twist to this rivalry. Porto have already hurt Stuttgart once this year.
In the Europa League round of 16 last season, the Portuguese side knocked VfB out. Porto won the first leg in Germany 2-1, with goals from Terem Moffi and top talent Rodrigo Mora. The return in Portugal ended 2-0 to Porto, despite Stuttgart carving out enough chances to feel they should have done far more. VfB were out; Porto marched on to the quarter-finals, where they eventually fell to Nottingham Forest (1-1, 0-1).
Now the same club threatens to knock Stuttgart out of a transfer battle as well.
Porto’s need at centre-forward is real. Samu Aghehowa, their attacking star repeatedly linked with Europe’s elite, tore his ACL in February and is not expected back until the end of October. His workload was shared late last season by Moffi, on loan from OGC Nice, and Turkey international Deniz Gül. Neither convinced consistently enough to close the discussion.
Hence the return of Andre Silva. Hence the push for Pejcinovic.
Who blinks first?
The lines are clear. Wolfsburg want at least €25 million. Porto have already tested that resolve once and are preparing to come again. Stuttgart, Pejcinovic’s preferred choice, are edging their offers upwards but still short of the mark.
For the player, the decision looks simple: stay in Germany, play Champions League football, move closer to home. For Wolfsburg, it is about cold numbers. For Porto, it is about seizing the moment.
The question now is not who wants Dzenan Pejcinovic the most. It is who is finally willing to pay the price.
