The €100m Midfield Move That Never Happened
Manchester City were ready to spend up to €100m on Bayern Munich's Aleksandar Pavlovic. The 22-year-old said no. That's the short version of a transfer pursuit that ran for months without ever reaching the negotiating table.
The detail comes from Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, who reports that City's interest stretched back to March. Talks were held. A fee was floated. Bayern were told City would go as high as €100m. And then nothing. No formal negotiations between the clubs. No deal. Pavlovic stayed put.
A Long Pursuit
This wasn't a fleeting enquiry. City had been pushing to sign the Germany international since March, with concrete talks over a possible move. Plettenberg says Bayern were informed of City's willingness to commit a significant fee. The figure — €100m — would have represented a serious outlay for a 22-year-old with his best years ahead of him.
Pavlovic was flattered. He considered it. For a player at Bayern, with the Bundesliga title a given and the Champions League a permanent fixture, the Etihad offers a different challenge. But the pull of Munich held firm. He decided against leaving.
What makes the timing interesting is that City identified Pavlovic as a major midfield target well before their subsequent moves for Ayyoub Bouaddi and Enzo Fernandez. Enzo Maresca's squad was still taking shape. The midfield was being rebuilt. Pavlovic was apparently part of that plan months before the pieces fell into place elsewhere.
No Regrets, No Return
By the time the window closed, Pavlovic remained in Munich and City had turned elsewhere. Plettenberg's account doesn't suggest City have revived their interest or intend to return for the player. The chapter appears closed.
For City, it's a reminder that even a €100m offer doesn't guarantee a signature. For Pavlovic, it's a decision he'll live with. For everyone else, it's another window where the money was there but the player wasn't.