Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski has told Bayern Munich that he will not be signing a new deal at the club amidst transfer speculation involving Barcelona.
The 33-year-old is set to end his eight-year association with the German giants which has yielded a whopping eight straight German Bundesliga titles and 19 trophies overall. In six of those seasons, he has also finished as the Bundesliga’s top scorer, winning the Torjaegerkannone award.
His current contract at the club runs out in 2023 and prior to his recent declarations he was willing to extend it. He wishes for a three-year extension but Bayern wanted a two-year extension. The Bavarians chose instead to chase after Erling Haaland, right until last weekend when it became certain that he was going to be a Manchester City player next season.
Lewandowski is said to have been annoyed by the club’s decision to put Haaland ahead of him, leading him to decide against renewal of his contract.
This puts Bayern Munich at a crossroads as they had previously claimed that they would not be listening to any offers for the former Borussia Dortmund striker in the summer. The Bundesliga champions were confident of getting Lewandowski to sign, but with his decision not to sign, they risk losing one of their most sellable assets for free.
Barcelona to offer Lewandowski Messi role
Polish television channel TVP Sport claim that Barcelona are in the driving seat to secure the player’s signature and the latest decision from the player has given them a boost on their chase for his signature.
A report from BILD following Lewandowski’s decision now claims that the Bavarians’ stance on the Polish national team captain has softened and that they may listen to offers of €35 million and above. While this is up Barcelona’s alley, they will have to conclude a number of departures in order to raise funds for the transfer.
The Catalan club has just concluded the transfer of Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho who spent a year on loan at Bayern Munich, to Aston Villa for an unknown fee reported to be between €20 million and €25 million.
They are also reported to be close to a €272 million investment from a private equity firm CVC Capital which they will use to conclude the financial details of Lewandowski’s signature.
Last month, it was reported that Barcelona are going to make Lewandowski into their new Lionel Messi. This means that he will become the new face of the club which would see him earn a lot more in marketing benefits.
