Lewandowski to leave Munich for Barcelona
July 16, 2022
After months of speculation, Robert Lewandowski is indeed leaving Bayern Munich after eight years.
"We have come to a verbal agreement with Barcelona," Bayern club president Herbert Hainer confirmed Saturday. "It's good to have clarity for all parties. Robert is an incredible player, and he won everything with us. We are incredibly grateful to him."
Bayern's sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic said that Lewandowski had been "incredible for Bayern" and that after speaking "at great length with Barcelona" the details had been sorted. Salihamidzic added that the striker will pay the club a final visit after the US trip to say his final goodbyes.
Club CEO Oliver Kahn said the club had agreed to "release" Lewandowski, although the contract was still "pending." Kahn added: "We know very well what we have to thank Robert for, but great players have also left Bayern in the past, and even after that, Bayern's world did not fall apart."
Earlier, reports from both Sky and Sport1 stated that Lewandowski had said his goodbyes to his teammates, hugging all of them at the end of the session. He was not at the team's official presentation in the stadium later on that day.
According to reports, the club agreed on a deal worth up to €50 million ($50 million), with the 33-year-old expected to sign what is reportedly a three-year deal with an option for one more.
With Bayern Munich signing Sadio Mane just a few weeks ago, and most recently announcing the contract extension of Serge Gnabry, Lewandowski's departure appeared even more likely.
The 33-year-old had made his desire to leave the club public much earlier in the summer, when in May he said his story with Bayern was over after contract talks broke down. He had one more season left on his deal with Bayern. Now, after a long wait, his wish has become a reality.
The Polish striker leaves Bayern and the Bundesliga after a remarkable 12 years that saw him score 312 league goals in 384 games. He won the league title 10 times and the Champions League once, and, last season, he broke Gerd Müller's Bundesliga scoring record after netting 41 goals in one campaign. He leaves Bayern with a breathtaking scoring record of 344 goals in 375 games.