Bayern Munich superstar striker Robert Lewandowski has told the club he does not want to sign a contract extension and wishes to leave in the summer, according to Bild. The Polish superstar has done this while eyeing a move to FC Barcelona, according to Sport 1. His decision will certainly alert striker-needy clubs around Europe, especially the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal, though his future does appear to be at the Camp Nou.
Lewandowski, 33, has a contract through the summer of 2023, but he hasn’t been able to reach an extension at the club where he’s won everything. FIFA Men’s Player of the Year for both 2020 and 2021, Lewandowski has won eight straight Bundesliga titles with Bayern. He also won two at Borussia Dortmund, and he led Bayern to the Champions League crown during the 2019-20 season.
The most prolific striker in the world over the last handful of years, he’s scored at least 40 goals in each of the last seven seasons. He needs just one more goal this season to reach 50 on the campaign as Bayern close out their league season on Saturday at Wolfsburg.
This development could be fantastic news for Barcelona and their manager Xavi as they look for a true striker to fill the void left by Luis Suarez when he left two seasons ago. Barca have shifted to an attack that uses more versatile, speedy players, but the need for a true No. 9 is evident in a side lacking consistency. The move to Barca does raise questions however as the Catalan side have dealt with financial issues that saw them lose Lionel Messi to free transfer before the season. Whether they can afford a player like Lewandowski remains to be seen, but they will need to off load some serious salary to make things work.
As for Bayern, they are going to need to start looking for a new striker. Don’t be surprised if they go after Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick as they have a long history of reaching down into the Bundesliga to acquire their competitors top players. It is, after all, how they got Lewandowski from Borussia Dortmund in the first place.
KVSP