Chelsea are chasing Robert Lewandowski after the striker announced he wants to leave Bayern Munich .
Poland international Lewandowski is under contract with the German giants until 2021, but he has recently hired Pini Zahavi – the agent who brokered Neymar’s world-record transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain last summer – to get him a move.
The Stamford Bridge club are looking to start their summer spending even before a deal is struck to bring in Maurizio Sarri as their new manager.
Bayern will look for more than £80m for the 29-year-old who has been top scorer in the Bundesliga in two of the last three seasons, with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain also interested.
Super-agent Zahavi said: “Robert believes he needs a change and a new challenge in his career, Bayern officials know it.
“Robert is not motivated by money or by a specific club. Because almost all the best clubs would like to have the best striker in the world.
“Everybody in the Bayern leadership has had a great career. They must understand his situation.”
Alvaro Morata largely flattered to deceive in his debut season at the Blues after a club-record £60m move from Real Madrid, and the former Juventus striker is keen to return to Italy.
Chelsea have also been linked with Inter Milan frontman Mauro Icardi and Sarri's former Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain as negotiations over the 59-year-old drag on.
The £7m buyout clause in his contract expires on Thursday, and the Italians have already appointed ex-Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti as his successor.
But club president Aurelio di Laurentiis is so annoyed with Sarri, who is expected to replace countryman Antonio Conte in the Blues' hotseat, seeking other jobs that he is threatening to hold him to the final two years of his £1.2m-a-year contract anyway.
Napoli's Belgium international forward Dries Mertens said: “Sarri is a world-class coach and he’ll prove it. All those he trained have made an important step forward in terms of quality and I am convinced he’ll find a great team where he can prove just how good he is.
"I hope he quickly finds a new club.”
EmeraldJ
110
Chelsea wake up.
Noble1
92
I am strongly against Chelsea spending in excess of £80 million for a 29 year old Leawandoski. Chelsea seem to be linked with every player on the planet right now. Once again, we can not help but question the ambition of the board and the direction they are steering the club. We want the board to come out with clarity of purpose and tell us what direction they are heading. The constant uncertainty surrounding the managerial position must be sorted out immediately and decisively as well For now that should be the priority of the board. Otherwise we might spend the off season chasing shadows once again, while other clubs consolidate and continue improving their squad for next season. Chelsea needs to focus on more pressing issues,this is not a time to run around like a headless chicken.
Tadrio
89
If Lewa does leave for 80m+ Bayern r gonna be delighted. The budesliga was just mad this season with Bvb falling down the table ND a 14 goal gap between the second top scorer and Lewa. They could definitely buy a Timo Werner type who'll always provide a double digits amount of goals and still win the league comfortably
Gokuljr1_0
67
Chelsea looking!
yubamntyz
59
he could turn out to be another andriy shevcenko...expert marksman in europe but a flop in epl. spend the money to sign a younger striker like timo werner
rmcfc9
43
I would love to have lewandowski at Chelsea but that would put off batshuayi and I really want michy to stay, plus if lewandowski isn't happy at a club like BAYERN, what makes anyone think he could possibly be more happy in London? it could turn into a horrendous situation and that worries me
Yaemty
36
Anybody notice how every big nane now wants to come to the EPL! Spain finally losing its attraction (don't know why there was one it's a shit league) even looks like Ronaldo and bale have had enough of Spain!🤣🤣
BarcelonaManCityFC
33
Imagine Lewandowski in a blue shirt. Haha. But as a Bayern fan I wouldn’t want him to leave cause there’s no proper replacement for him other than Dybala and Insigne.