After months of rumors the wait is over. FC Barcelona signed Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich for a reported $49.50 million last week. The star striker reportedly made up his mind long ago, and Barça manager Xavi Hernandez had a lot to do with that.
It took a while, but FC Barcelona finally signed the striker they wanted for next season. Barça struck a deal with Bayern Munich to acquire Pole star Robert Lewandowski for a reported $49.50 million.
Lewandowski, a 33-year-old striker, had made it clear he wanted out of Bayern Munich after spending more than a decade in the Bundesliga. He player four years with Borussia Dortmund before joining Bayern as a free agent in 2014. Lewandowski had only one year left in his contract, so he looked ready to leave — just not to any club.
FC Barcelona was his priority for months, so it was essentially a matter of time before Bayern Munich gave in. While Barça are not in the same spot they were a few years ago, Lewandowski wants to contribute to the team’s resurgence under Xavi. In fact, he suggested that the manager is a reason why he wanted to join FC Barcelona.
Lewandowski said Xavi was a big factor in his move:
“I was speaking with Xavi and from the beginning I know [what’s been on his] mind, his ideas,” Lewandowski told FC Barcelona’s official channel. “It was easy for me to decide to come to Barcelona because I’m the guy who wants to play, who wants to win, and I think that with Xavi it’s very possible.
“He knows exactly how to coach Barcelona because he was an amazing player and now he’s also a very good coach. He has an amazing future and I want to be a part of this as well.”
FC Barcelona was in the wake of a financial crisis and they had the departure of their idol Lionel Messi, along with a poor start to the 2021-22 season. Xavi was able to steady the ship after taking over in November and somehow the team also managed to strengthen the roster since.
Barça landed Ferran Torres, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Adama Traore (who is now back at Wolverhampton Wanderers) in January and they continued to improve their team this summer. Besides Lewandowski, they acquired Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, and Raphinha. Therefore, FC Barcelona are certainly in a better spot than a year ago. Lewandowski knows this and he is aware that Xavi played a key role for the team’s resurrection.
Lewandowski turns 34 in August but he seems to have a lot left in his tank. He scored an impressive 50 goals in 46 games last year (35 goals in 34 Bundesliga games and 13 goals in 10 UEFA Champions League games). Lewandowski is still one of the most prolific strikers in the world and that’s exactly what FC Barcelona needs right now.
