The Bundesliga campaign is nearing completion for Bayern Munich. After sealing the league title with a win against Borussia Dortmund, Die Roten has only three more league games to play before the season comes to an end. The Bavarian club will now focus on strengthening the squad in the summer transfer window.
Along with signing new players, Rekordmeister will be looking to extend the contracts of key players in the first team. There were positive developments last week as Rekordmeister is nearing contract extensions of three senior players. However, work is yet to begin for the extension of Robert Lewandowski.
The Polish striker currently has just over 12 months left on his deal. In the past couple of months, there has been intense speculation surrounding his future in Bavaria. He has reportedly given the green light to a move to Barcelona as Pini Zahavi looks to sort a big move for the star striker.
Despite the intense speculation, Bayern currently looks unfazed. In an interview with Sky Sports on Sunday, the German club’s sporting director ruled out a move away from Bavaria for Lewandowski. Hasan Salihamidzic admitted that the club would soon hold talks with Lewandowski, but he will be at the club next season since his current deal expires in 2023.
Hasan Salihamidžić rules out selling Lewandowski this summer
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) April 24, 2022
Would you consider (selling) if Barcelona came in with a €40-50m offer?
Salihamidžić: "No"
So he's definitely staying this summer?
Salihamidžić: "Yes, he has a contract until 2023"
[Sky90]
Salihamidzic also insisted that the club hierarchy wants to keep Lewandowski at the club, but they also have to make sure that the new deal doesn’t create a burden on the club’s finances. The Polish striker is reportedly looking for a longer deal, while Die Roten may propose a shorter contract offer as they have done with players over the age of 30 in the past.
After the win against Dortmund on Saturday, Lewandowski was also tight-lipped about his future in Bavaria. The Polish striker insisted that both parties need to be on the same page to continue this association.
Bayern has been deliberating on opening talks with Pini Zahavi to extend the contract of Lewandowski. The Bavarian club is expected to face trickier negotiations since they have not enjoyed the best relationship with Zahavi in the last 18 months. Zahavi couldn’t find an agreement with the club for David Alaba’s contract renewal last year, which made sure that Alaba left on a free transfer.
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Die Roten cannot afford to lose Lewandowski in the summer. He has been scoring at an incredible rate in the last three seasons. There is no direct and feasible replacement for Lewandowski in the current market. The Bavarian club should try to extend his contract and start looking for a young striker that can eventually be developed into the long-term successor of Lewandowski.