City, United Pursue Pavlović; Also Eye Molina

Manchester City and Manchester United are reported to be pursuing Bayern Munich midfielder Aleksandar Pavlović, with City showing the strongest interest amid uncertainty over Rodri and United having made contact with his representatives. The 21-year-old Bayern academy product has broken into the first team, is contracted until 2029, and is reportedly not seeking a move; Spanish reports value him around €50m though Bayern would likely demand more. Separately, both clubs are monitoring Atletico Madrid right-back Nahuel Molina, who has fallen out of favour under Diego Simeone and has made just one start this season, making a January departure possible. Manchester United view Molina as a potential fix for their chronic wing-back problems under Ruben Amorim, while City see him as a defensive reinforcement after earlier links to Denzel Dumfries and Tino Livramento came to nothing. Molina, an Argentina international with 141 Atletico appearances, would likely face competition for his signature if Atletico permit a mid-season move.