One of the most tediously protracted transfer sagas of the summer is now nearing its end. Robert Lewandowski, 33, has finally gotten his wish to leave Bayern Munich and join FC Barcelona. The face of Polish football and two-time winner of the Golden Boot for Europe (leading goal scorer) had been linked to Chelsea, among other clubs, but he’s now set to join his first choice club of Barca.
He will join up at the Catalan Club for a transfer fee of €45 million base, with an additional €5 million possible in incentives and variables.
Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn confirmed this news on Saturday via a club statement:
“We have agreed to release Robert Lewandowski. We have a verbal agreement with FC Barcelona, the contract is still pending.
“We know very well what we have to thank Robert for, but great players have also left FC Bayern in the past, and even after that, Bayern’s world did not fall apart. On the contrary, it often continued with even more success.”
Bayern team president Herbert Hainer also confirmed the verbal agreement (the contract and other paperwork still need to be finalized), earlier today as he said the club were “incredibly grateful for his service.”
Lewandowski becomes the fifth signing of the summer for Barcelona, after Pablo Torre, Franck Kessie, former Chelsea center back Andreas Christensen and former Leeds United forward Raphinha. It’s been a very busy summer for Bayern too, and we’ve covered all their wheelings and dealings in this link.
Once the paperwork is completed and filed, Robert Lewandowski will join up with the rest of the Barcelona squad that flew out to the Unites States of America on Saturday.
They’ll land in Miami where they will face MLS side Inter Miami in the first of their friendlies in the US later this month.
The Blaugranes will also take on arch-rivals Real Madrid (at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas), Juventus (at the very historic Cotton Bowl in Dallas) and the New York Red Bulls (at Red Bull Arena) in friendlies later on this month.
As for Bayern and their summer tour of the USA, it will consist of two matches, July 20 vs Wayne Rooney and DC United in the American capital, and July 23 at Lambeau Field against Manchester City.
SOON… ?#AudiFCBTour pic.twitter.com/0ZIw9B9hoR
— ?? FC Bayern US ?? (@FCBayernUS) July 13, 2022
The latter will certainly be “an event” to say the least.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.