Robert Lewandowski has just one year remaining on his Bayern Munich contract and has told the German champions he will not sign a new one; Bayern could now allow the striker to leave, with Barcelona expected to offer €50m; Julian Nagelsmann's side keen to sign Matthijs de Ligt
Tuesday 19 July 2022 17:22, UK
Robert Lewandowski could leave Bayern Munich as soon as this week as Barcelona prepare a final offer of €50m (£42.3m) plus bonuses for the striker, according to Sky in Germany.
Lewandowski's departure would help Bayern to finance the signing of Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus, who have priced the centre-back at around €80m (£67.7m) plus bonuses, according to Sky in Italy.
Hasan Salihamidzic, Bayern's sporting director, was in Turin on Monday to open negotiations for De Ligt with Juventus.
Lewandowski was completing his pre-season medical check-ups at the Barmherzige Brueder Hospital in Munich on Tuesday.
The Poland international has just one year remaining on his Bayern contract and he has told the club he will not renew his deal.
Up until now the German champions have insisted Lewandowski is not for sale and turned down a €40m (£33.8m) offer from Barcelona last month.
Oliver Kahn, Bayern's chief executive, told Amazon Prime in April that Lewandowski would not be leaving the Allianz Arena this summer.
"We would be stupid to sell a player who scores 30 to 40 goals per season," the former Bayern and Germany goalkeeper said. "He has a contract until June 2023 and we'll definitely have him with us for another season."
However, Bayern's stance could now be softening as they look to fund a move for De Ligt. The Netherlands international has only two years remaining on his Juventus contract and is reported to have told the Italian club that he is keen to move to Munich.
Chelsea have also been tracking De Ligt this summer as they try to replace Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, who both left on free transfers.
Lewandowski has been with Bayern since 2014 and has scored 344 goals for the club in all competitions. He has helped Bayern to eight Bundesliga titles in the last eight seasons, as well as three German cups, and has just been crowned the league's top scorer for the fifth season in a row.
De Ligt has spent the past three seasons with Juventus after joining from Ajax, and has won one Serie A title and one Coppa Italia during his time in Turin.
Sky in Germany reporter Marc Behrenbeck:
"We did a lot of research and what we know is that Barcelona are highly interested in Lewandowski.
"Barca want him, Lewandowski is open for Barcelona. It was always a dream for him to play in Spain - either Real Madrid or Barcelona.
"There have been talks. Xavi desperately wants a world-class striker who can guarantee 30 or more goals a season. A two or three-year contract is in the making with a salary of about €35m to €40m (£30m to £34m) a year.
"Barcelona are not able to pay high fees but high salaries."
Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window opens on June 10 and closes at 11pm on September 1?
Keep up-to-date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
