As Sadio Mane continues to find himself linked with a move to Bayern Munich, it doesn’t take a genius to work out Liverpool look set to suffer the knock-on effects from Robert Lewandowski’s decision to leave Bayern Munich.
Having already informed the Bavarians that he does not wish to extend his contract in Munich ahead of its expiration in 2023, the Pole upped the ante on Monday as he started to force his way out of the exit door.
"Am I optimistic about signing for Barca? It's a big question. I don't like being in this situation. What is certain at the moment is that my career at Bayern is over,” he said while away on international duty. “I don’t see any possibility to continue playing for this club. After everything that has happened in recent months, I cannot imagine further good cooperation.
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“Bayern’s a serious club and I believe they won’t keep me. I don’t want to play there any more. I realise a transfer will be the best solution for both sides. I hope they don’t stop me.”
By all accounts, such a statement did not go down well in Munich as director Oliver Kahn said: “I can't tell you why Robert chose this way to communicate his situation. Public statements like that don't get you anywhere. Robert should know what he has at Bayern. Appreciation is not a one-way street.”
It has been reported that Lewandowski started to consider leaving when the club's sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic expressed interest in signing Erling Haaland last August, taking issue with the club’s supposed interest in a replacement. Man City then beat Bayern to the Borussia Dortmund striker’s signature, leaving them with a wantaway striker and a desperate need for a replacement.
Either way, with the Poland international seemingly having his heart set on a move to Barcelona, having reached a verbal agreement on a three-year contract with the Catalans, his latest comments certainly demonstrate he is trying to force Bayern’s hand into selling. However, a deal is yet to be agreed between the two clubs, with La Liga president Javier Tebas insisting they cannot afford to sign the 34-year-old due to their financial issues.
As a result, the striker’s future remains uncertain, with Bayern president Herbert Hainer insisting, two weeks ago, that Lewandowski will see out his contract.
“Robert has a contract until 2023. That’s how long he will play with us,” he said. “There is no substitute for such a world-class player. He has a contract, so I assume he fulfils it. It is his right not to extend his contract.”
Whether Bayern stick to such a stance over the course of the summer remains to be seen. Yet given the exact same reasoning applies to Mane, it is curious how they are seemingly confident of buying the Senegal international.
However, despite increasing speculation, Anfield sources insist Mane has not communicated his desire to leave, though they are admittedly braced for contact from Bayern. Meanwhile, the ECHO understands that Liverpool will want a sum in excess of the fee of £25.5m (€30m) that was reported across German media last week and also be able to recruit a top-level replacement if they are to even consider selling.
Like Bayern’s Lewandowski stance, despite only having a year on his terms at Anfield, the Reds feel the player’s quality - as evidenced by his 23 goals this season - versatility and experience make him worth considerably more and are well aware just how difficult it would be to acquire a player capable of emulating the Senegalese.
As a result, it is understandable why they could favour Mane seeing out his contract on Merseyside. But if Lewandowsi gets his wish to depart Bayern granted, Liverpool might find their resolve tested.
Yet given the Pole’s history with Jurgen Klopp, if a move to Barcelona fails to materialise and he still remains hell-bent on moving on, a swap deal and Anfield reunion could be on the cards.
Despite turning 35 this August, the striker is showing no sign of slowing down and remains one the most prolific around, having won the European Golden Shoe for the second season this year running after netting 35 Bundesliga goals from 34 appearances. Meanwhile, while Liverpool would want a replacement for Mane, given the forward’s reinvention as a number nine during the second half of the campaign, it remains to be seen if they would want a central or left-wing option should he move, given they have Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota at their disposal.
It would be easy to scoff at such a suggestion of Liverpool moving for Lewandowski, given his age and wage demands, but that didn’t stop the Reds from signing Thiago from Bayern two years ago. And having seen City sign Haaland, it would ultimately be the perfect response. As Klopp said earlier this month, “There’s enough space in each squad in the world for a world-class player.”
Lewandowski is certainly that and by his own admission he has Klopp to thank for his transformation. Signed for Borussia Dortmund for Lech Poznan in 2010, he initially started slowly in Germany, scoring just nine goals in his first season with the club. In the 11 seasons that have followed, he has never scored less than 25 goals. Returning 40 goals or more in each of the past seven seasons, he has even broken the 50-goal barrier on two occasions.
“I could talk to Jurgen about anything. I could trust him. He is a family man, and he has so much empathy for what goes on in your private life,” he said of his former manager when talking to the Players’ Tribune in January 2021. “Jurgen was not only a father figure to me. As a coach, he was like the “bad” teacher. And I mean that in the best sense of the word.”
“You remember the bad teacher [at school], the one who was strict with you. The one who put pressure on you and did everything to get the best out of you. That’s the teacher who made you better, right? And Jurgen was like that.
“He was not content to let you be a B student, you know? Jurgen wanted A+ students. He didn’t want it for him. He wanted it for you. He taught me so much.
“I can’t remember everything he told me — my German still wasn’t the best — but through the few words I knew and from his body language, we understood each other. Three days later, I scored a hat trick and assisted another goal against Augsburg. We won 4–0, and that was the turning point for me. It was a mental thing, a hang-up of some sort.
“When I arrived at Dortmund, I wanted to do everything quickly: strong pass, one touch only. Jürgen showed me to calm down — to take two touches if necessary. It was totally against my nature, but soon I was scoring more goals.
“When I had that down, he challenged me to speed it up again. One touch. BANG. Goal. He slowed me down to speed me up. It sounds simple, but it was genius, really.”
And the admiration Lewandowski has for Klopp isn’t one-sided with the Liverpool player naming the Pole as the best player he has ever managed, ahead of the likes of Mane, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, when speaking to Bild last year.
"Robert Lewandowski. It actually won't be fair to say that about any other player except Lewy," he explained. "What he has made out of his potential, how he pushed himself to become the player he is today, that's extraordinary."
"Lewy took every step he needed to take to be that goal machine. Every one. He has immersed himself in the game, he just knows in every situation what he has to do, where he has to go. Lewy is an absolute machine."
Now there is nothing to suggest that Liverpool have any interest in Lewandowski as they wait to see what Mane, Bayern and indeed the Poland international do next. But with both clubs in the same boat with regards to the duo, there are worse solutions than a swap-deal.
Speaking of Bayern’s interest in the Senegalese before the Champions League final, Klopp said: “I couldn't care less at the moment. Sadio is focused. We have no concerns, it is completely normal.
“He knows how important this game is. It is not the first time before a big game that Bayern Munich rumours have come up. This is the wrong moment to speak about that. Wherever Sadio will play next year, he will be a big player."
The exact same applies to Lewandowski. If he stays at Bayern, he will be a big player for them once again and Liverpool’s hopes of keeping Mane should be bolstered. If not, a transfer merry-go-round this summer is set to get underway.
Bayern should be wary of their own Lewandowski stance, given the Reds will feel the exact same about Mane heading into the summer. After all, it would be somewhat hypocritical if they complained about potentially losing the striker before attempting to bully Liverpool into selling.
But the Bavarians do have a world class replacement in their sights, now it’s the Reds' turn. In all likelihood, the answer won't prove to be a a Klopp reunion for the Poland international. But the question remains if not Lewandowski, then who could the Reds possibly get that is good enough to replace their long-serving number 10?
Strap yourselves in. 48 hours after Liverpool’s season officially ended and the transfer window is unofficially underway.
