One of the longest transfer sagas of the summer is ending as Robert Lewandowski, the second-highest goalscorer in Bundesliga history, swaps Bayern for Barcelona.
Robert Lewandowski is leaving Bayern Munich after eight seasonsImage: Andreas Gebert/REUTERS
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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.
Robert Lewandowski's stunning Bundesliga career
Robert Lewandowski is leaving Bayern Munich after eight prolific seasons in which he scored 344 goals in 375 games. We look back at his illustrious career, which began in his native Poland.
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Robert Lewandowski
The prolific Pole is synonymous with goals, title wins and Bundesliga records en route to being regarded as the best out-and-out striker in world football. Yet his story has humble beginnings, given that he started from the third division of the Polish football playing for Legia Warsaw's reserves and Znicz Pruszkow.
Image: Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo/picture alliance
A star at Lech Poznan
After finishing top scorer in Poland's second tier, he joined Lech Poznan in 2008 and led them to the Polish Ekstraklasa title a year later. Soon international scouts came calling and, while a well-documented volcano eruption scuppered a move to England, it was in the Bundesliga where he truly broke onto the scene.
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Dortmund: Doorway to German dominance
Dortmund secured his signature for a four-year stint that produced two Bundesliga titles, including the club's first league and cup double in the 2011-12 season. The Pole famously scored four goals in a 4-1 win over Real Madrid en route to the 2013 UEFA Champions League final, but was on the losing side against Bayern Munich, whom he'd join a year later.
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Making magic in Munich
After moving to Munich on a free transfer, Lewandowski got down to business, finishing his first season with 25 goals in the Bundesliga and winning the first of eight consecutive titles. He also helped them to three German Cup triumphs, adding the Champions League trophy in their treble winning season, 2019-20. He also collected numerous individual awards.
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Gerd Müller's record broken
Robert Lewandowski also achieved what had been previously thought impossible. On May 22, 2021, he broke Gerd Müller's record for most goals scored in a Bundesliga season when he netted for a 41st time in the 2020-21 campaign against Augsburg. It was a remarkable run as he claimed his first European Golden Boot award.
Robert Lewandowski may have beaten Gerd Müller's record for goals in a single Bundesliga season. However, he leaves the league still well short of "Der Bomber's" career record of 365 goals, having finished his time in Germany's top flight with a total of 311 (update after Saturday's game!) He is only the second player to have reached the 300-goal plateau.
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Poland's record goalscorer
Lewandowski's form at club has also been consistent with his international career, where he led the Polish national team to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Since making his debut in 2008, he has made 129 appearances and scored a record 75 goals for his country.
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Time to say goodbye
After 384 games and 312 goals for Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, 10 league titles and one Champions League title, Lewandowski now moves on from the Bundesliga to seek a new challenge at Barcelona, where he will surely continue to demonstrate his enduring class.
