Robert Lewandowski is a goal machine for Bayern and Poland. (imago Images)
Speaking on the Transfer Window podcast (h/t Liverpool Echo), Ian McGarry claims that Robert Lewandowski has been offered to Liverpool among other Premier League clubs. Manchester United and Man City have are also in the running, and the trio has shown ‘tepid’ interest in signing the 33-year-old.
Lewandowski has established himself as one of the best players in Europe recently. The 2020 UEFA Player of the Year was running amok in the Bundesliga before his spell in Bavaria as well, as he starred for Jurgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund side for several years. But is he a player that the German manager needs at Liverpool right now?
Robert Lewandowski is a goal machine. According to transfermarkt, the Poland international has 462 goals in 632 senior appearances – which by all means are the numbers of an elite forward. He has led Bayern to several Bundesliga titles and was a key member of their 2020 UEFA Champions League-winning season.
But the fact remains that he is not getting any younger. At 33, he does not present himself as a long-term asset for whichever club he signs. Sure, he could well be a difference-making signing in the short term, but is that how Liverpool operate? Jurgen Klopp’s modus operandi at Anfield show something markedly different.
The Express claims that Liverpool have ‘tough rules’ when it comes to keeping players over the age of 30. There have been exceptions to that, of course, with Adrian and James Milner still a part of their team. But the German manager is yet to sign an outfield player over the age of 32 in his five and a half years at the club.
The question of age is taken into account here because of the quoted fee for Lewandowski. If a player is available for a reasonably cheaper fee, their short-term benefits can outweigh the financial outlay. But according to McGarry (h/t Liverpool Echo), Lewandowski could cost £94million, which is the amount Bayern are believed to be wanting for him.
That would instantly shatter the club’s transfer record that stands at £75million– the fee they paid to sign the imperious Virgil van Dijk from Southampton. Smashing the club’s transfer record for a 33-year-old is a move that can divide opinions. Moreover, van Dijk was signed from the money saved up from the sale of Philippe Coutinho.
There is a similar situation right now, with Fabrizio Romano claiming on the Here We Go podcast (h/t Liverpool Echo) that the Reds need to sell players before they can buy anyone this summer. In that regard, it would be a poor option to sell off younger first-team players if they want to fund a transfer for Lewandowski.
Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, and Diogo Jota, all below the age of 30, are doing a good job at the club right now. It would be wiser for the Reds to wait and sign a player that can be financially feasible and would offer long-term service to the 19-time English top-flight champions.
