Bayern Munich calm over Robert Lewandowski future
Bayern Munich remain calm about the future of Robert Lewandowski despite intense speculation surrounding a possible summer transfer, 90min understands.
Lewandowski's contract at the Allianz Arena expires in June 2023, but he's been strongly linked with a summer move to Barcelona in recent weeks as he wants to take on a new challenge.
The Pole has scored an incredible 50 goals in just 46 matches across all competitions for Bayern this season - the third campaign in a row in which he has netted in more games than he's played in - and 35 of those goals aided the club's tenth successive Bundesliga title win. Lewandowski has been at the club for eight of those triumphs.
But even though things have been going brilliantly on the field, Lewandowski has been taking stock of his future off it.
He admitted in March that he was 'open to anything' in regards to moving on, with his agents exploring his options, and 90min revealed that Manchester United had asked to be kept informed of Lewandowski's situation.
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Barcelona have since emerged as the frontrunners to lure Lewandowski away from Bayern, but despite mounting specuation over a possible switch to Camp Nou, 90min understands that Die Roten remain calm about the situation.
Sources have confirmed that despite Bayern telling Lewandowski they will not offer him a lucrative new contract, the club expect him to honour his current deal and do not anticipate parting ways this summer - unless they find a suitable replacement on their terms.
Indeed, chief executive Oliver Kahn recently told Amazon Prime that Lewandowski will not be leaving Bayern - saying it would be 'stupid to consider selling a player who scores 30 to 40 goals per season' - while president Herbert Hainer has reaffirmed that Lewandowski 'will fulfil' the remainder of his contract.
Nevertheless, Lewandowski's agents are pushing for a move away from the club - they've now told Bayern they will not consider any kind of contract extension - and Barcelona appear to be his most likely landing spot. Whether the Catalan giants, who remain in financial strife, are prepared to pay the 33-year-old north of £300,000-per-week remains to be seen.
Lewandowski even told Viaplay Sport in the aftermath of Bayern's 2-2 draw with Wolfsburg on the final day of the Bundesliga season, “It’s very possible that this was my last game for Bayern. I cannot say that at 100%, but it may have been [my last game]. We want to find the best solution for me and for the club”
Darwin Nunez and Patrik Schick are among the strikers Bayern have identified as a potential replacement, while Sebastien Haller - who was in superb form for Ajax in this season's Champions League - has also been mooted as a potential target.