Robert Lewandowski’s future at Bayern Munich beyond the current season has been dominating the headlines for a while now.
The 33-year-old is set to enter the final year of his contract with the Bavarian giants and is keen on leaving as he wants to test himself at a different team, having won everything at the Allianz Arena.
Furthermore, the striker is believed to be unconvinced by the tactics of Julian Nagelsmann, while the club’s easy-going approach with regard to talks over a renewal for him have also upset the Poland international.
Amidst this situation, Barcelona have emerged as the most plausible destination for Lewandowski heading into the summer transfer window. The Catalans have identified him as their marquee target and have held talks with his agent, Pini Zahavi over a possible move.
Now, a fresh report from SPORT has revealed details about when Lewandowski made the decision to leave Bayern and why he wishes to sign for Barcelona in the summer.
The report claims that the 33-year-old was heartbroken at being snubbed for the Ballon d’Or 2021, which former Barça captain Lionel Messi won. The Bayern Munich striker was primed to win the golden orb in 2020, but the ceremony was cancelled that year due to Covid-19.
Having seen Messi win the Ballon d’Or for the seventh time in his career, Lewandowski is believed to have come to the decision that he will be unable to lift the coveted prize as long as he stays at Bayern Munich.
As per the report, the striker believes that the German champions do not have the same level of global support and media impact like Barcelona. So, even though he continues to smash records on the field, he might go without winning the recognition as long as he stays in the Bundesliga.
As a result, he made the decision to leave the Allianz Arena at the end of the 2021/22. The report further adds that the Premier League was never an option for Lewandowski, while he did not wish to move to PSG, as he is not convinced by the team’s prospects.
Real Madrid were also ruled out due to the presence of Karim Benzema and the imminent arrival of Kylian Mbappe. It left Barcelona as his most favoured destination as the 33-year-old would be at the centre of the rebuild project under Xavi Hernandez.
At the same time, there had been tensions brewing between Lewandowski and Bayern as the player was unhappy that the club were not opening talks over a renewal, which only made his resolve stronger to move on at the end of the season.
However, Barcelona’s pursuit of Lewandowski was dealt a big blow. On Thursday, the striker’s agent met with officials from Bayern Munich to discuss his situation, during which it was made clear to him that the German champions will not sell their ace goalscorer this summer.
According to a report from BILD (h/t iMiaSanMia), Lewandowski was left unhappy with the outcome of the meeting as he wishes to leave Bayern this summer and not next year on a free transfer.
It is further claimed that the 33-year-old seeks a definitive resolution on his future at the earliest possible. It remains to be seen how the situation develops in the coming days for the Blaugrana.
CLICK HERE TO COMMENT
