Rodri's replacement? Man City & Man Utd 'absolutely' approached Bayern Munich star over summer transfer with Pep Guardiola putting him 'even higher' on his list of targets

Four clubs from three different countries want Pavlovic, whose contract ends in 2029, according to Bild. While Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain are yet to enter the fray, Premier League clubs Manchester City and Manchester United have concrete interest in the 21-year-old and have communicated via intermediaries about the player. He is among the top targets at City, with Pep Guardiola possibly seeking Rodri's replacement in the near future.

Bild's Tobias Altschaffl claims while Juve and PSG refrained from acting on their interest, reports of City and United having him on their radar are "absolutely true" and both clubs engaged in talks with the player's agent to make clear they are open to signing him.

Rodri, the recipient of the 2024 Ballon d'Or, is contracted with City until next summer. However, amidst injury concerns and interests from Real Madrid in Spain, City are yet to hand him a new contract. Although Pavlovic is young, he is getting better physically. Moreover, his commanding nature on the pitch highlights the leadership ability, which makes him a good fit under Guardiola. 

United have been suffering under Ruben Amorim this season. Their midfield pivot, comprising Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, or Manuel Ugarte, has been criticised time and again for their poor performances. While a resurrection of the midfield is a priority, United are yet to commence negotiations with Bayern over Pavlovic.

Pavlovic, who has five international caps for Germany, is yet to be the mainstay in the national team. While he has been performing well at the club level, he is yet to win Julian Nagelsmann's trust. Despite being fit, the 21-year-old was not called up for the September break, where Germany played two qualification matches against Slovakia and Northern Ireland. The same happened for the October break.