Soccer

Barcelona offer Bayern Munich €35m for Robert Lewandowski

Bayern expected to turn offer down despite Polish striker agreeing personal terms with Catalan club

Robert Lewandowski could be set for a move to Barcelona. Photograph: Virgine Lefour/Belga Mag/AFP via Getty Images
Robert Lewandowski could be set for a move to Barcelona. Photograph: Virgine Lefour/Belga Mag/AFP via Getty Images
Thu Jun 23 2022 - 18:50

Barcelona have made a new offer for Robert Lewandowski of €35m plus €5m in add-ons but Bayern Munich are expected to turn that down.

The striker is determined to join Barcelona despite approaches from Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain and has verbally agreed a three-year deal.

Leading Bayern executives have continued publicly to point out that Lewandowski is under contract for another year and say they expect him back for pre-season training on 12th July. The player last month declared his Bayern career “over” and said he did not believe the club would hold him against his will.

Bayern’s board member for sport, Hasan Salihamidzic, gave an interview on Thursday to Sky in Germany in which he appeared to leave open the possibility of Lewandowski leaving for the right price. Asked to state as a percentage the likelihood of the player staying he replied: “Until now it’s 100%.”

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[ Robert Lewandowski declares his time at Bayern Munich to be “over” ]

Salihamidzic laughed when pushed on whether the Poland international would be allowed to leave for big enough money and replied: “I don’t know. No, like I said, I never deal with things that are in the air right now.” He went on to repeat that Lewandowski was expected back as planned.

Lewandowski and his agent, Pini Zahavi, had a meeting with Salihamidzic and Bayern’s CEO, Oliver Kahn, in Mallorca last week. Salihamidzic described it as a “good conversation” during which each side set out its position and said he was convinced Lewandowski could be reintegrated at the club.

Salihamidzic’s statements mark a softening in tone from what was said last month by Herbert Hainer, Bayern’s president. Hainer said: “Robert has a contract until 2023. That’s how long he will play with us.”