FC Porto Challenges Stuttgart for Dzenan Pejcinovic Transfer

The battle for Dzenan Pejcinovic has moved from the Bundesliga’s back rooms to the European stage. What looked like a straight run for VfB Stuttgart has turned into a full-blooded transfer duel – and the new challenger knows exactly how to frustrate the Swabians.

Porto, fresh from reclaiming the Portuguese title, have stepped into the race and, according to Bild, already tested Wolfsburg’s resolve with an opening bid of around €23 million. Wolfsburg’s answer was blunt: rejected on the spot.

The relegated club from Lower Saxony have no intention of being bullied into a bargain sale. Their line is clear. Pejcinovic costs at least €25 million. Contract until 2029. No pressure to sell, despite the drop into the second tier.

Porto are not walking away. A second offer is expected, and the tone of the talks has sharpened. The Portuguese see a 21-year-old centre-forward who has just broken through at Bundesliga level and is already a full Germany Under-21 international. They see Champions League nights at the Estádio do Dragão and a long-term No. 9 to build around.

Stuttgart see something else: their dream signing.

Stuttgart’s plan – and the Demirovic flashpoint

For VfB, Pejcinovic is not a luxury idea scribbled on a whiteboard. He is the centrepiece of an attacking plan drawn up for a Champions League season. The club has already run straight into Wolfsburg’s valuation wall. An initial package worth about €18 million was knocked back, and Bild now reports that Stuttgart are preparing a new offer of €22 million – still short of the €25 million Wolfsburg want, and now undercut by Porto’s presence in the race.

The pursuit has sparked a different kind of tension in Stuttgart. When Sky suggested coach Sebastian Hoeneß would be open to selling Ermedin Demirovic – with Fenerbahce and Juventus circling – the reaction was immediate.

"I was irritated and, to be honest, also annoyed by some of what was discussed there," Hoeneß told Bild, before nailing down his stance. He wants to keep his captain and top scorer. "My goal is always to have the best players at VfB and Medo is one of our best players."

The message is unmistakable: Demirovic stays, and Pejcinovic is meant to arrive on top of what Stuttgart already have.

That front line is already well stocked. Demirovic and Deniz Undav are established as high-class starters. Jeremy Arevalo, signed in January, is still adjusting to life in Stuttgart after his first half-season. Jovan Milosevic has returned from loans at Partizan Belgrade and Werder Bremen to give them a fourth option, though his future points more towards another move than a permanent role.

Pejcinovic would not be coming to plug a gap. He would be coming to turn a strength into a statement for Europe.

A striker on the rise – and on the move

For the player himself, the direction of travel is clear. After Wolfsburg’s relegation, Pejcinovic wants out – but he wants to stay in Germany. Stuttgart, according to Bild, remain his preferred destination.

The reasons are obvious. Sporting ambition? VfB can offer Champions League football. Personal life? A move to Stuttgart takes him closer to Munich, where he grew up and first learned his trade in Bayern’s youth system before heading to Augsburg at 12 and later joining Wolfsburg from Augsburg’s U19s in 2022.

His breakthrough has not been a straight line. A loan to Fortuna Düsseldorf in 2024/25 brought a second metatarsal fracture and another test of resilience. Last season, he finally put it together in Wolfsburg colours: 12 goals in 34 competitive games, a reliable finisher in a struggling team, and suddenly one of the most talked-about young centre-forwards on the market.

Porto can match part of Stuttgart’s pitch. They, too, can promise Champions League football. What they cannot offer is a top-five league or the proximity to home that weighs in Stuttgart’s favour. For a 21-year-old who has grown up inside the German system, that matters.

Porto’s need up front – and old scars for Stuttgart

Porto’s interest is not opportunistic. They have already brought back Andre Silva from Elche to lead the line, returning a former Bundesliga striker to his boyhood club. But their attacking plans were ripped up in February when Samu Aghehowa, one of Europe’s most coveted young forwards, suffered an ACL tear and was ruled out until the end of October.

In his absence, the role has been split. Terem Moffi arrived on loan from OGC Nice and shared minutes with Turkey international Deniz Gül. Neither truly convinced over a longer stretch. The search for a more reliable, long-term solution has led them straight to Pejcinovic.

For Stuttgart, Porto are an unwelcome but familiar problem. The Portuguese champions already knocked them out of Europe last season. In the Europa League round of 16, Porto came to Germany and won 2-1, with Moffi and top talent Rodrigo Mora on the scoresheet. The return leg at the Dragão ended 2-0 to the hosts, despite a string of VfB chances. Stuttgart were out; Porto moved on to the quarter-finals, where they fell to Nottingham Forest.

Now Porto are back in Stuttgart’s path, this time at the negotiating table rather than on the pitch. The stakes feel just as high.

Wolfsburg hold the cards – for now

Wolfsburg sit in the strongest position. They have a young striker under long contract, a clear asking price and at least two serious bidders. Relegation has not forced a fire sale. If anything, Porto’s entry has hardened their stance. With a Champions League club from abroad and a Champions League club from Germany both pushing, there is little incentive to climb down from €25 million.

Stuttgart’s next move will be telling. Their planned €22 million offer, reported by Bild, edges them closer but still leaves a gap. Porto have already tested the water at €23 million and are expected to return. Each new bid pulls Wolfsburg closer to their valuation.

Pejcinovic’s preference leans towards Stuttgart. The numbers lean towards Wolfsburg’s bank account. Porto lean on their status, their history, their European platform.

Someone will have to bend.

Does Stuttgart push beyond its comfort zone to land the striker it believes can define its Champions League attack? Or does Porto, once again, step in to turn Swabian ambition into frustration?