Bayern Munich chief Oliver Kahn insists Robert Lewandowski will still be at the club next term despite talk persisting about the Pole's exit.
Lewandowski is arguably the finest No 9 on the planet but will enter the final 12 months of his contract this summer. Speculation has seen the 33-year-old linked with a switch to Barcelona, who are looking to add more firepower to their squad. The forward has scored 47 times so far this term.
He's smashed the 40-goal barrier in each of his last seven seasons and is a vital cog in Bavaria. His departure would leave a huge hole at the Allianz Arena but Polish television channel TVP Sport claim he has already agreed terms over a switch to the Nou Camp - which is at odds with Kahn's defiant claim.
"We definitely have Robert with us for another season," Kahn told Amazon Prime . "We know what we have in him and we're relaxed about it. Apparently there's a competition out there: 'Who will tell the biggest nonsense story about Robert Lewandowski?' Talks will continue. We're not crazy and are [not] discussing the transfer of a player who scores between 30 and 40 goals with us every season."
Goal reports that talks about an extension will take place in the comings weeks. If no extension is signed then foreign clubs, of which Barcelona are one, would be free to discuss a pre-contract agreement from January 2023. Lewandowski's representatives are reportedly unimpressed with Bayern's hesitation to open talks and table an improved deal.
The forward has spent the majority of his career in Germany having made his name at Borussia Dortmund before leaving on a free to join Bayern in 2014. Whilst at the Allianz Arena Lewandowski has won the Bundesliga every season and also claimed the Champions League in 2020.
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Bayern will not be claiming European glory this term after they were shocked in the last eight at the hands of Villarreal. They drew 1-1 at home, which saw them crash out 2-1 on aggregate. Coach Julian Nagelsmann refused to blame Lewandowski for their failings despite the noise around his future.
He said: "In my opinion there are too many alibis in football. I'm the one who needs to take the guilt, or the responsibility. It's very popular in sport to shy away from that. But I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to give someone else the blame that somehow they were at fault.
"But I will take my lessons in terms of tactics and everything that belongs to the game. If I don't do that then the blame definitely can't be placed on those players whose contracts haven't been finalised."
