Bayern star admits £84.6m offer from Man City
Bayern Munich midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic has admitted that he received an offer from Manchester City during the summer transfer window.
The 22-year-old is a key player for Bayern under Vincent Kompany, and rejecting the offer was an easy decision for him.
The Germany international has been compared to Spanish great Rodri because of their similar playing styles, and he takes the comparison as a compliment.
Aleksandar Pavlovic rejected Man City offer
We reported in September that Manchester City made an audacious offer to sign the Bayern Munich midfielder in the summer window.
Before Man City signed Enzo Fernandez for a club-record fee, they wanted to sign Pavlovic and were ready to offer a fee in the region of £84.6m for him without add-ons.
The midfielder initially asked Man City for time to consider the proposal, but eventually he decided that he wanted to continue at the German club.
Christian Falk exclusively took an interview with Pavlovic recently.
The Bild journalist told CFBayern Insider: I had a very interesting conversation with Aleksandar Pavlović this week. We spent an hour in the office of his agent, a former footballer who’s very famous in Germany, Dieter Hoeneß (a former striker and, notably, Uli Hoeneß’s brother).
I was sitting around talking a lot about football and, of course, the links to Manchester City. I’ve mentioned previously in the column that Manchester City came in with an offer of over €100m [£84.6m] for him. The Bayern midfielder confirmed this was the case. However, he was born in Munich, loves the club and genuinely wants to win the big trophies with FC Bayern. Of course, it was also an honour for him to be considered a potential successor for Rodri.
[Pavlovic said: “First of all, it’s an honor when a top club like City comes calling. I grew up in Munich, I’ve lived here my whole life, and I’ve always played for FC Bayern. My family and friends live here—there’s nothing better for me. That’s why the decision wasn’t a hard one for me.”]
He said he wants to reach this level – perhaps even better! Pavlović also mentioned that he wants to follow in the Spaniard’s footsteps by winning the Ballon d’Or. So, he’s a very confident guy and I think Bayern Munich missed him in the match at Stavanger.
[Pavlovic added: People are already comparing his playing style to Rodri’s. Pavlovic says, “Everyone knows what a top defensive midfielder Rodri is. He didn’t win the Ballon d’Or for nothing. Of course, I’m honored to be compared to a player like that. I take that as motivation to achieve my goal: I want to keep improving and establish myself as a world-class player.”]
Aleksandar Pavlovic not going anywhere
The central midfielder is a key player for Vincent Kompany, and the club want him to stay for many years to come.
He has forged a strong partnership with Joshua Kimmich in central midfield and is one of the first names on Kompany’s team sheet.
Pavlovic could still attract interest from top European clubs in the future, but prising him away from Bayern looks extremely difficult.
