Manchester City scout Germany star as Hugo Viana shortlists potential Rodri replacements

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TBR Football understand representatives of Manchester City were in attendance to watch Germany defeat Northern Ireland in the FIFA World Cup qualifier at Windsor Park.

Hugo Viana – Director of Football at the Etihad Stadium – is on the lookout for an heir to Rodri’s throne as the Spaniard continues to suffer from niggling injuries, with Nico Gonzalez yet to fully prove himself since his £50m move from Porto in February.

Graeme Bailey – Chief Correspondent for TBR Football – can now confirm that Manchester City were at Windsor Park to cast an eye over Aleksandar Pavlovic.

Exclusive: Aleksandar Pavlovic is of interest to Manchester City

We understand the Bayern Munich No.45 was the main player of interest as several Premier League sides sent scouts to watch Germany defeat Northern Ireland 1-0.

Sources inform TBR Football that Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool were also in attendance for the FIFA World Cup qualifier, where Pavlovic stood out in a defensive midfield role.

The 21-year-old is attracting an increasing level of interest from the Premier League, where admirers also reside for Borussia Dortmund duo Karim Adeyemi and Nico Schlotterbeck, both of whom featured in the win for Germany.

Pavlovic can already boast 63 appearances for Bayern Munich, where he has announced himself as one of the most precocious players in the No.6 role across Europe under Vincent Kompany.

Vincent Kompany has already given Manchester City his verdict on Aleksandar Pavlovic

Kompany – who made 360 appearances for Manchester City – has not been able to use Pavlovic as much as he would have liked, largely due to a broken collarbone for the German wonderkid in October 2024 before a case of mononucleosis.

However, the Manchester City target has still made a strong impression on the Belgian nonetheless.

In September 2024, Kompany said: “Pavlovic, an incredible talent. Today (Joao) Palhinha played a good game, just like Pavlovic in the past two games. They have to carry on. It’s good for us.”

The man born in Munich has a contract at the Allianz Arena which runs until July 2029.

Manchester City – who also like Kayden Sessegnon – are expected to keep tabs on Pavlovic after he impressed against Northern Ireland, as Rodri continues his stuttering recovery from a serious knee injury.