Aleksandar Pavlović has no intention of leaving Bayern Munich amid Manchester City‘s big efforts to secure his services.
In the summer window, the Premier League side reshaped their midfield after selling Rodri, Nico González and Tijjani Reijnders.
The Citizens invested heavily on Elliot Anderson, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Enzo Fernández. The latter two arrived at Manchester City from Lille and Chelsea respectively in the last week of the window.
Enzo Maresca’s side had also looked at Pavlović as an option for this season as his rise at Bayern Munich haven’t gone unnoticed.
The 22-year-old is their academy product and made his way into their first team in 2023. He has played 107 matches for the Bundesliga winners and 44 were from last season.
Manchester City’s attempt to sign Bayern player
Last month, Sport Witness covered a report from Germany explaining that the Etihad club were ready to spend €100m for Aleksandar Pavlović. However, he turned them down, leaving Manchester City ‘flabbergasted’.
Fast forward to October and Bild again points out Enzo Maresca’s side have been ready to pay €100m for the defensive midfielder.
Manchester City couldn’t proceed because the defensive midfielder wants to continue at the Allianz Arena.
While their interest flatters him, the Germany international explains he sees his long-term future at Bayern Munich. He mentions this as the reason for rejecting the Citizens’ offer.
Aleksandar Pavlović
Bayern Munich · First-team career stats
| Season | Apps | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | 22 | 2 | 2 |
| 2024–25* | 33 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025–26 | 44 | 4 | 2 |
| 2026–27** | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| First-team career total | 107 | 8 | 5 |
Includes Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, German Super Cup,
UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup.
*The 2025 Club World Cup is included in 2024–25.
**2026–27 figures through 13 October 2026.
Excludes Bayern II, youth football, internationals and friendlies.
Source: Opta Analyst. Checked: 13 October 2026.
Decision to snub Manchester City not surprising
The German giants’ player was born in Munich and joined their academy in 2011. Taking this into account, it’s no surprise he continued with Vincent Kompany’s side, where he has a key role under the Belgian.
“First of all, it’s an honour when a top club like City approaches you. I grew up in Munich. I’ve been a fixture here, and I’ve always played for Bayern. My family and friends live here; there’s nothing better for me. That’s why the decision wasn’t difficult,” he said.
Aleksandar Pavlović believes the English club’s approach shows he’s making progress while his goal is to win silverware with Bayern Munich.
“Everyone knows what a top-class defensive midfielder Rodri is. He didn’t win the Ballon d’Or for nothing. Of course, I’m honoured to be compared to a player like that. I take that as motivation for my goal: I want to constantly improve and establish myself among the world’s best,” Pavlović explained.
“We want to win everything: the Champions League, the DFB-Pokal, and the German championship.”
