Mané is already in Munich and Lewandowski pushes to go to Barça

The domino effect that Barça expected arrived.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
24 June 2022 Friday 12:52
9 Reads
Mané is already in Munich and Lewandowski pushes to go to Barça

The domino effect that Barça expected arrived. “That Lewandowski comes already depends on us and that we activate the economic levers”, admit sources from the Barça club seeing Sadio Mané, a 30-year-old striker, land in Munich and pass the medical check-up with Bayern. Mané will sign for three seasons and his first press conference will take place today. Candidate for this year's Ballon d'Or, the winner of the African Cup of Nations with Senegal and finalist in the Champions League with Liverpool will reinforce a Bayern team that is slowly taking over Lewandowski's departure.

Mané, a 30-year-old striker, landed this morning in Munich on a flight from Mallorca. Precisely Lewandowski is spending his vacations there, very aware of his future. In a last attempt to retain him Hasan Salihamidzic, Bayern's sporting director, he traveled to the Balearic island on Wednesday to try to change his mind without success. The representative of the Pole Pini Zahavi was also at the meeting. From the player's environment they affirm that the meeting was cordial and friendly. They also insist that Lewandowski does not contemplate another scenario other than signing for Barça despite the siren songs that come from PSG and Chelsea. He never had any doubts.

Throughout this process there was only one moment of certain mistrust. It happened on May 31 when the board met in La Jonquera to convene the assembly of committing partners on June 16, which approved the levers. That day the statements of Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga pointing out that Barça could not sign Lewandowski provoked a call from Zahavi to Laporta who had to reassure him. After that, the president ruled out the pact with CVC and responded to Tebas in a very forceful way in statements to the club's official media. “I ask you to refrain from making comments about the possible signings of Barça. If he does it voluntarily, it is inadmissible. And if he does it involuntarily, it is further proof of his desire for protagonism,” said the president.

At the beginning of next week, if everything goes according to plan, the club will activate the first of the economic operations that includes the transfer of up to 25% of the television rights for the next 25 years. This lever will allow to increase the first offer of 32 million euros that Mateu Alemany transferred to Bayern at the end of May. But Bayern was not only not for the job of selling his flagship, but also pointed out that the offer was insufficient considering that the player has scored 50 goals in 46 games this year adding all competitions. Now with the signing of Mané they begin to assume his departure while Barça is willing to pay 40 million euros for the Pole.