Barcelona could include key player in swap deal for Lewandowski if he fails to renew contract: Reports
Barcelona are looking to up the ante in their approach to signing Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich this summer. However, the German giants have set a high asking price and now Xavi Hernandez is thinking of using a vital cog from his squad as a makeweight in the deal.
Mundo Deportivo reports that young sensation Gavi could be pushed through the exit door at Camp Nou so that Lewandowski's signing could go over the line. The Spanish international only has one year left on his contract and Barcelona are yet to tie him to a new deal.
The player's representatives have been locked in a stalemate with the Catalan club and there is no sign of reaching an agreement as things stand. Julian Nagelsmann is believed to be an admirer of Gavi and is interested in adding him to their ranks.
#transfersGavi’s camp not happy with Barça comments on new contract situation. They have been waiting for official paperworks for almost two weeks. 🔴🇪🇸 #transfers
Meetings were more than positive but Gavi’s agent is still waiting for Barça to send the contracts.
The Spanish outlet understands that Bayern are even ready to pay the 17-year old's €50 million release clause. Barcelona were ideally expecting to offer Memphis Depay in a player-plus cash deal. However, the German giants' liking of Gavi makes the Catalans confident of getting Lewandowski in exchange for their midfielder.
The Bavarians are not the only ones keeping an eye on Gavi, with Liverpool and PSG also courting him. The Spaniard is a part of the long-term plans under Xavi but they will cash in on him if he decides not to renew the contract.
Robert Lewandowski is eager to secure a transfer to Barcelona
The Polish striker's contract will be up at Bayern Munich in 2023 and the sensible thing to do for the Bundesliga champions is make money from his sale. However, the Blaugrana are financially constrained and are unable to meet their asking price.
Amidst this, Lewandowski has made up his mind to move to Camp Nou and his agent Pini Zahavi is putting in the effort behind the scenes to get his client a transfer to Barcelona. According to Fabrizio Romano, Xavi has spoken directly twice to the Poland international and a contract until 2025 has been discussed.
#FCBayern
Lewandowski's agent Zahavi: "Last year I asked Bayern board: «What do you think about a contract extension with Lewandowski?». Answer: silence. They didn't say yes, no, maybe... nothing!", tells Bild. 🚨 #FCBayern
"I hope that Bayern will change their decision [keeping Robert]". https://t.co/5QfCQWNz4B
A couple of days ago, Zahavi told BILD about Lewandowski's situation, via Fabrizio Romano:
"He wants to leave this summer, none of us care about the money. The truth is that he hasn't felt respected by the board since a few months now. Bayern lost Robert not only in as a footballer and as a person."
Meanwhile, the Bavarians are determined to hold on to their player, who still has a year remaining on his contract. It will be interesting to see how this transfer saga ends and which player gets shipped to Allianz Arena to bring the 33-year old centre-forward to Camp Nou.