FC Porto Disrupt Stuttgart's Plans for Dzenan Pejcinovic

FC Porto have barged into Stuttgart’s carefully laid transfer plans for Dzenan Pejcinovic – and they have done it with intent.

According to Bild, the Portuguese champions have already tested Wolfsburg’s resolve with an opening bid of around €23 million. Wolfsburg, freshly relegated yet sitting on one of the most coveted young No. 9s in Europe, barely blinked. The offer was rejected immediately.

Wolfsburg’s stance is clear: Pejcinovic leaves only for at least €25 million. Contract until 2029, 21 years old, 12 goals last season, Germany Under-21 international – they know exactly what they are holding.

Porto push, Wolfsburg dig in

Porto are not walking away. A second offer is expected, and this time the number will have to edge closer to Wolfsburg’s valuation. They want Pejcinovic as a Champions League spearhead, even though they have already brought back former Bundesliga striker Andre Silva from Elche.

The Portuguese side’s need is obvious. Samu Aghehowa, their explosive attacking jewel, tore his ACL in February and is not expected back until late October. His workload was spread between Terem Moffi, on loan from OGC Nice, and Turkey international Deniz Gül. Neither nailed down the role. Porto’s attack flickered instead of burned.

Pejcinovic fits the gap perfectly: mobile, penalty-box sharp, and still years away from his peak. For Porto, this is an opportunity to jump ahead of richer leagues by moving early.

Stuttgart’s dream signing hits a hard ceiling

In Stuttgart, Pejcinovic is not just a target. He is the dream signing.

VfB have already felt the cold reality of Wolfsburg’s price. Their most recent proposal – a package worth around €18 million – went nowhere. Now, with Porto raising the stakes, Stuttgart are preparing to climb. Bild reports that their next offer is set at €22 million. Still short. Still likely to be waved away.

The timing is awkward. Stuttgart are back in the Champions League and want to build from a position of strength, not patch holes. Up front, they are not desperate. Ermedin Demirovic and Deniz Undav form one of the Bundesliga’s most effective strike partnerships. Jeremy Arevalo arrived in January as a challenger and is still adjusting. Jovan Milosevic has returned from loans at Partizan Belgrade and Werder Bremen, but is expected to move on again.

So why push this hard for another centre-forward?

Because Stuttgart see Pejcinovic as a piece for the next three to five years, not just for the autumn. A Champions League campaign, a congested calendar, the constant risk of injury – they want genuine depth at No. 9, not just bodies.

Demirovic question sparks irritation

That ambition has triggered an uncomfortable question around the club: if Pejcinovic comes, what happens to Demirovic?

Sky reported that head coach Sebastian Hoeneß was open to selling his Bosnia international, who has attracted interest from Fenerbahce and Juventus. The story landed badly in Stuttgart.

“I was irritated and, to be honest, also annoyed by some of what was discussed there,” Hoeneß told Bild, making it clear he has no desire to lose his captain in attack. “My goal is always to have the best players at VfB and Medo is one of our best players.”

For Hoeneß, the equation is simple. Pejcinovic should arrive alongside Demirovic, not instead of him.

Player preference tilts toward Stuttgart

This is where Stuttgart’s real advantage lies. Not in money. In desire.

Pejcinovic, Bild reports, wants to leave Wolfsburg after relegation – but stay in Germany. Stuttgart, with Champions League football and an upward trajectory, sit exactly in his sweet spot.

There is also geography and history. A move to the Swabian city would bring him closer to his home in Munich. He came through Bayern’s youth ranks before joining Augsburg at 12, then jumped from Augsburg’s Under-19s to Wolfsburg in 2022. His development has been rooted in German football. His next step, he apparently believes, should be too.

At Stuttgart he would walk into a top-four Bundesliga side, test himself weekly at the highest domestic level and still play in the Champions League. At Porto he would get the same European stage, but not the same league platform. The Portuguese giants offer prestige, trophies, and a ferocious fanbase – but not the week-to-week grind of one of Europe’s top leagues, nor the proximity to home.

For a 21-year-old plotting a long career, those details matter.

Breakthrough season, broken bones, and a turning point

Pejcinovic’s rise has not been smooth. During a loan spell at Fortuna Düsseldorf in the 2024/25 season, he suffered his second metatarsal fracture. For a young striker, two serious foot injuries can stall everything.

Instead, last season became his breakthrough. Across 34 appearances in all competitions for Wolfsburg, he scored 12 goals and finally turned promise into production. In a struggling side that ultimately went down, he offered one of the few bright spots. Scouts noticed. So did clubs with Champions League budgets.

Wolfsburg now sit in a familiar position for relegated teams with elite talent: needing to sell, but determined not to be bullied.

Porto, the old irritant, return

For Stuttgart, Porto’s sudden appearance in this story has an uncomfortable echo.

The two clubs met in last season’s Europa League round of 16, and Porto were ruthless. They won the first leg in Stuttgart 2-1, with goals from Terem Moffi and highly rated youngster Rodrigo Mora. The return leg in Portugal ended 2-0 to Porto. Stuttgart created chances, but lacked the clinical edge. Over two games, the Germans were outmuscled, outmanoeuvred, and eliminated. Porto went on to fall in the quarter-finals to Nottingham Forest (1-1, 0-1), but the damage to Stuttgart’s European run had already been done.

Now Porto are back, this time at the negotiating table rather than on the pitch, and again they threaten to knock Stuttgart out.

The dynamics are clear: Wolfsburg hold firm at €25 million. Porto have already shown they are willing to get close. Stuttgart, even with a €22 million bid in the pipeline and the player apparently on their side, are staring at a race that could quickly move beyond their financial comfort zone.

So the question hangs over the summer: will Stuttgart stretch to match their sporting ambition, or will Porto once again walk away with the prize that Hoeneß and VfB had already begun to picture in their colours?