Bayern Munich warns Premier League clubs to back off Lewandowski
By Rayna Sidhu
Chelsea and Manchester United have been linked with the super striker this summer, but Bayern have warned the clubs to stay away.
Robert Lewandowski coming to the Premier League is one of those big rumours to overshadow all other rumours. A story of this size pops up every year and usually amounts to nothing except fan upset when it doesn’t happen.
The rumours began a few days ago and escalated when Sky Sports reported that both Chelsea and Manchester United had engaged in successful preliminary talks with the Poland captain.
Bayern Munich have responded to such rumours with threats of filing a complaint with FIFA over the talks being held.
"Robert Lewandowski is under contract at Bayern and only recently renewed his deal until 2021. Bayern Munich waste no thought on a Lewandowski move… If other clubs negotiate with players who are under long-term contracts, they risk FIFA punishment – ESPN"
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Despite this strong statement, Lewandowski’s comments earlier in the summer serve to contradict the reassuring tone. He recently voiced discontent with the support he received with goal-scoring during the season. After narrowly missing out on the golden boot to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, he had this to say.
"I wasn’t completely satisfied with the way my team helped me. Immediately after the last game, I felt anger. I was disappointed with my team. That was the feeling I had – Daily Mail"
The fact that the Bundesliga champions have felt it necessary to send a warning suggests that there may be some truth to the rumours. Some reports have even gone as far as to suggest that he is warming to the idea of London, but that Manchester United will not give up so easily.
His upset with teammates may have Bayern feeling vulnerable and the money that Chelsea and United could offer would surely be tempting for any player.
However, such evidence (or a lack of) is only substantial in a transfer market, where most rumours are accompanied with no fact. In truth, there doesn’t seem to be much to this one. He is unhappy with not scoring the most goals, which is natural for a striker of his capability. That being said, Bayern Munich is one of the best teams in the world. It is likely that it would take more than short-term disappointment to sway a move.
Of course, these are just preliminary talks, which usually only consist of an expressed interest in the player to the agent or the club. Bayern’s words could be enough to deter the Premier League clubs from pursuing him, or spur them on, depending on the next steps of these talks.
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Anyone would want a goal machine like Lewandowski on their team, that much is certain. Both Chelsea and Manchester United are in need of a new striker but Bayern Munich seem determined to keep him. This could all fall flat soon or be a summer-long story.