ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI MOVES TO BARCELONA FOR €50MILLION
Robert Lewandowski is officially a Barcelona player. The Catalan club made the announcement confirming the signing of the Polish striker from Bayern Munich on Saturday morning.
After months of speculation, the Polish captain has finally completed his move to Barcelona for a reported €50million, becoming Bayern Munich’s most expensive sale in the club’s history with the €50million fee paid by Barcelona trumping the €40million fee paid by Juventus back in 2018 for Brazilian winger Douglas Costa. Bayern will receive a guaranteed fee of €45million and an additional €5million in add-ons.
Lewandowski noted “Finally, I’m here. I’m very happy to be here. The last few days were very long days but in the end, the deal is done. Now I can focus on the new chapter in my life. A new challenge but always, I’m the guy who wants to win. Not only the games but also the titles so I hope that from the beginning of the season, we’re going to start with the winning [of games] and going for the titles during the season and at the end of the season as well.”
“I’ve always wanted to play in La Liga. I’ve always wanted to play for the big club and now it’s my next step. This opportunity that I had, also for my private life [was important]. New challenge, new life. For Barca, it’s time to get back on track and that’s why I’m here; to help Barcelona to be at the top and to win as many titles as possible.”
The 33-year-old signed his new three-year contract on Sunday with multiple reports confirming that the Polish international took a massive pay cut to sign with the Catalan giants. Lewandowski will earn a reported €9.2million a year according to reports, a major pay cut from the €12.2million a year that he earned at Bayern. Lewandowski was the highest paid player in the Bundesliga on a wage of £200,000 a week but will now earn £150,000 a week in Spain. His new contract will keep Poland’s all-time leading goalscorer in Catalonia until the summer of 2025, with an option for a further year.
Lewandowski had a year left on his contract at Bayern and had expressed his desire to leave the club in May. It is reported that Lewandowski had his first phone call with Xavi back in February and that his mind was set on moving on this summer. The Warsaw-born striker was first linked with Barca in April but the club’s first offer for the all-world talent, a cool €40million, was only submitted and eventually turned down by Bayern last month.
“I have been speaking with Xavi and I know that from the beginning I know his mind and his ideas are going in a good way,” Lewandowski added. “For me, he made it easy for me to come to Barcelona. I am a player that wants to play and to win and with Xavi that is very possible. He knows exactly how to coach Barcelona because he was an amazing player and now he is a very good coach with an amazing future. “
Lewandowski met his new teammates for the first time in a hotel in Miami after flying out to the United States where Barcelona are currently on their pre-season tour. The move means a reunion for the former Borussia Dortmund trio of Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, Robert Lewandowski, and Ousmane Dembele.
The 2021 Ballon d’Or Striker of the Year is now Barcelona’s fourth signing of the summer following the free agent summer signings of Andreas Christensen, Franck Kessie and the €58million acquisition of former Leeds United winger Raphinha. Lewandowski could make his Barcelona debut when his new side play Inter Miami in their first match of the tour on Tuesday.
Despite his impending move, Lewandowski was seen at Bayern’s training ground during the club’s pre-season training and was pictured saying his emotional goodbyes to teammates and staff. He was also pictured hugging manager Julian Nagelsmann. Bayern themselves, have already completed solid moves in the transfer window this summer including the €41million signing of Sadio Mane and can use the money obtained from the Lewandowski sale to finance an impending €80million move for Juventus centre back Matthijs de Ligt.
Lewandowski’s former teammate and friend, Thomas Muller said on Twitter: “All the best for your future at Barcelona, Robert Lewandowski! 8 special years, a lot of goals, a lot of trophies, ups and downs but always respect and a real winning spirit.”
Lewandowski was almost unstoppable in Munich, scoring 344 goals in 375 appearances for the German champions, and told Sky in Germany that he would “come back [to Munich] to say goodbye to all the employees properly.” Lewandowski scored 50 goals last season, more than any other player in European football and has been lauded as one of the best strikers in the world. He has been with Bayern since 2014, and has helped the German giants to eight straight Bundesliga titles in the last eight seasons, 3 German Cups, and the Champions League title in 2019/20.
“These 8 years were special and I won’t forget that,” said Lewandowski. “I had a great time in Munich.”
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: Светлана Бекетова. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.