Chelsea may move for Lewandowski if Barcelona fail to convince
Thomas Tuchel is a fan of the Bayern Munich striker and Chelsea may enter the picture if a possible move to Camp Nou falls through.
Robert Lewandowski has announced he wants to leave Bayern Munich this summer and while the Bavarian giants have pointed to the Poland captain’s contract, which expires in 2023, it seems likely the Bundesliga champions will accept an offer rather than lose their all-time top scorer on a free transfer next year. Lewandowski is eager to experience another league, having spent the bulk of his career in the Bundesliga with Dortmund and Bayern, and there will be no shortage of suitors for the 33-year-old, who bagged 50 goals in all competitions this season having scored 48 in 2020-21 and 55 the campaign before that.
Real Madrid have been linked with Lewandowski in the past but are intent on pursuing Kylian Mbappé above all other targets this summer, leaving the way clear for Barcelona to emerge as the favourites to sign the prolific Pole. However, negotiations will hinge on the length of any contract offer – Lewandowski wants a three-year deal – and whether or not the stretched Camp Nou coffers can extend to accommodate the striker. If talks prove tricky, Chelsea are prepared to nip in and hijack the deal, according to The Guardian.
Tuchel an admirer of Lewandowski
Stamford Bridge boss Thomas Tuchel is a firm admirer of Lewandowski having seen him first hand often enough while he was coaching Dortmund and although there are a couple of stumbling blocks the Blues are said to be looking into the viability of making a move if Barça fail to acquire the services of the striker.
The main issue for Chelsea is Romelu Lukaku. The Belgium striker returned to his former club for a fee of €115m last summer but has not had the best of seasons by his standards, scoring 15 times in 43 appearances, amid rumours of a return to Serie A with either Inter or AC Milan. His agent, Federico Pastorello, has played down talk of a swift move back to Italy and Lukaku seems intent on remaining at Stamford Bridge but it is clear that if Chelsea decide to move for Lewandowski, Lukaku will have to make way.
Chelsea have been linked with Lewandowski before but Bayern’s hardball stance on the striker has always placed him off-limits for interested parties. Now though, with the Poland forward adamant he will be leaving the Allianz Arena, Chelsea could launch another bid for his services. Barcelona remain in pole position, not least due to Bayern’s interest in France winger Ousmane Dembélé, but the Camp Nou’s financial situation will require Lewandowski to agree to a significant pay cut on what he earns at Bayern, something that will not be an issue for the Premier League side.