Bayern Munich: Will history repeat with Robert Lewandowski?
It is going to be a tricky summer transfer window for Bayern Munich. After the last league game of the season last weekend, Robert Lewandowski publicly expressed his wish to leave Bavaria when the transfer window opens next month. He has reportedly set his heart on a move to Barcelona.
This is not the first time Lewandowski has agitated for a move away from Die Roten. The German club had managed to navigate that situation in their favour. Let us look at the previous scenario and explore the chances of it repeating this summer.
When was the last transfer saga involving Robert Lewandowski?
Robert Lewandowski wanted a transfer away from Bavaria in 2018. He had switched agents and appointed Pini Zahavi to find a way to seal a transfer. Real Madrid was touted as the most likely destination for the Polish striker, but there was no official bid from the Spanish club. Lewandowski was reportedly upset with the lack of support from the club officials when media and former players criticised him after Bayern repeatedly suffered defeats in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Despite Lewandowski’s best efforts, Die Roten had no plans to sell a striker that was scoring at a good rate for them. The Bavarian club didn’t entertain talks for a possible transfer throughout the transfer window. Lewandowski ended up staying in Bavaria.
In the next three years, Lewandowski enjoyed the best phase of his career. He scored at an incredible rate to establish himself as the best striker in the world. The Polish striker also went on to sign a four-year deal in 2019 and helped the club to win an unprecedented sextuple under the coaching of Hansi Flick. Bayern’s decision to refuse offers for Lewandowski was vindicated.
Why Bayern may hold firm this summer?
The biggest reason for Bayern to show firm resolve regarding the future of Lewandowski is the striker’s sensational form in the past three seasons. At the age of 33, Lewandowski is showing no signs of decline.
Karim Benzema is the only striker that can match Lewandowski’s numbers this season. Allowing a sensational player like Lewandowski to join a European rival will do more harm to Die Roten in the short term. Herbert Hainer, Oliver Kahn, and Hasan Salihamidzic have publicly stated that Lewandowski will be playing in the Bavarian colours.
Considering the quality of the striker, it wouldn’t be surprising to see history repeating for Lewandowski once again. They allowed David Alaba to run down his contract and left on a free transfer. A similar outcome is likely with Lewandowski next summer. There will be no net loss for Bayern since the Polish striker had joined them on a free transfer.
Why Bayern may soften their stance this summer?
Bayern has already started looking at possible replacements for Lewandowski. The Bavarian club has opened talks with representatives of Sadio Mane and Sasa Kalajdzic. It does look like they are preparing for the worst or softening their stance on the future of Lewandowski.
The main reason for allowing Lewandowski to leave his enormous wages. Moreover, the Bavarian club needs as much money possible from transfer sales to strengthen the squad. The coronavirus pandemic made sure that Die Roten incurred losses worth 150 million. It would be a pragmatic opinion from the club hierarchy to get a big fee for Lewandowski and build the squad for the future.
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There are viable arguments for keeping and selling Lewandowski. The Bavarian faithful would like to see the Polish striker spend the rest of his career at Bayern, but the financial circumstances make his departure a sensible decision. As the other leagues across Europe come to an end this weekend, there could be significant developments on Lewandowski one way or the other.