Bayern Munich’s summer is already off to an atrocious start following Robert Lewandowski’s bombshell during the last Bundesliga matchday.
The Pole, whose contract expires at the end of next season, just confirmed that he won’t sign a new extension at Bayern Munich and that he is apparently planning to leave the club as early as this summer.
This piece of Bundesliga 2022 news may have shocked the fans in Bavaria, but this development has brewing for quite some time as neither side failed to meet halfway.
Several suitors have already lined up to try and secure Lewandowski’s services because of this. And with Erling Haaland – who is the only available player who could somewhat fill his big boots – moving to Manchester City, Bayern Munich are in danger of coming out empty-handed if they don’t do something about it.
But how did we get here in the first place and who is at fault? Today, SBOTOP examines the saga surrounding Robert Lewandowski and the reigning Bundesliga champions.
Lewa wants long-term financial security
Robert Lewandowski is seeking for one more huge payday before he rides off into the sunset and he was banking on his form to do just that.
The Pole was fresh from a spectacular 2020/21 season where he broke Gerd Muller’s 49-year Bundesliga record for most goals in a single season. And he was also one of the top candidates to win the Ballon d’Or, according to the Bundesliga 2022 odds.
Lewa carried on his fine form this term as he scored 35 goals in all competitions, and he was basically the main reason why Bayern Munich won their 10th straight domestic trophy.
At the start of this season, Lewa fired his old agent and hired Pini Zahavi – who is known as a tough negotiator – and perhaps it was an overlooked indicator of things to come for both the Pole and the Bavarians.
Many were aware about Robert Lewandowski’s expiring contract and they were monitoring his situation. Other than Lewandowski, Bayern Munich also had to deal with similar cases in Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Thomas Muller, Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry, and Niklas Sule.
Niklas Sule’s case was a cautionary tale since he’ll move to Borussia Dortmund next season after failing to agree to terms with Bayern. The 26-year-old centre-back reportedly felt that he was disrespected and taken for granted – something that the management should’ve learned.
But Bayern Munich were complacent as they took their time – probably too much to their detriment – since they were confident that Robert Lewandowski will see out his contract and stay through the end of the 2022/23 season.
There were reports from Germany where it was claimed that Bayern Munich were working hard to secure the signing of Erling Haaland as a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski, which is probably one of the Pole’s main sources of frustration.
The ball is in Bayern Munich’s hands
Given his stature and tenure with the club, it’s safe to say that all Robert Lewandowski wanted was to feel loved and appreciated, and one gesture for such is to give him one more lucrative extension that he deserves.
Barcelona and Chelsea are both ready to give that to Lewandowski, with the La Liga side in pole position according to the most recent transfer market rumours.
Since Lewa is likely to leave Bavaria sooner than expected, Bayern Munich have already created a shortlist of candidates to possibly replace the Pole.
VfB Stuttgart’s Sasa Kalajdzic has been linked to Bayern given his affordable €20-M price tag, while they’ll also have other targets in Sadio Mane, Christopher Nkunku, and Patrik Schick.
Robert Lewandowski will always be a Bayern Munich legend
Regardless of what happens in these next few weeks, there’s one thing that’s certain: Robert Lewandowski is going to be recognised as one of the greatest players ever to represent the Bavarians.
The Pole had eight successful years at Bayern Munich where he has scored 344 goals in 375 appearances, and he has accumulated seven Bundesliga titles, three German Cups, four German Super Cups, a Champions League trophy, and a UEFA Super Cup.
This is certainly a major bargain for Bayern Munich since they got him on a free after his BVB contract expired at the end of the 2013/14 season.
With that said, it is ironic that Lewa might leave Bayern on a free sooner or later. Replacing the Pole is going to be a daunting task for the Bavarians, and the pain of doing so is going to be felt by their supporters in a huge way.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
