Manchester United could reportedly have to offer an Alexis Sanchez-like contract to stand any chance of landing Robert Lewandowski.
According to a report by Daily Star, Manchester United will have to offer Robert Lewandowski a contract similar to Alexis Sanchez’s deal in order to secure his services this summer. The Chilean is on a £505,000-a-week deal at Old Trafford since his shock move from Arsenal earlier this year.
Ever since Pini Zahavi was appointed as his agent, Lewandowski’s future at Bayern Munich has been up in the air. Widespread reports in Germany have even suggested that Die Roten are open to selling the Polish striker if they receive £70 million for him. Manchester United have been one of the clubs linked with him. But, the Red Devils will have to splash the big bucks to lure him to Old Trafford.
The rumour mill has been abuzz over the future of Lewandowski. Several clubs have been linked with the star striker in recent months, with Real Madrid and Chelsea among his well documented suitors. Of late though, Manchester United have reportedly taken the lead in his pursuit.
However, the links with Manchester United seem a bit perplexing for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the Red Devils do not seem to be in need of a new first-choice striker.
Romelu Lukaku enjoyed a respectable debut campaign at Old Trafford, scoring 27 goals across all competitions. With his best years well ahead of him, the Belgian hitman will be expected to improve on the count drastically.
So, even though Lewandowski is accustomed to scoring more than 40 goals every campaign, the need for goals is more pertinent to those behind Lukaku, rather than the striker himself.
If signed, Jose Mourinho will surely have a goal machine at his disposal. But, it will also likely see the 29-year-old and Lukaku share game time, which is not an ideal circumstance for either player. Marcus Rashford is an able backup striker for the Manchester United boss, with the player expected to become more consistent with every passing season.
The second reason why Manchester United are unlikely to go for Lewandowski is his age. Widespread reports have been consistent about one factor in the Red Devils’ decision making in the transfer market this summer – stuttering in pursuit of big-money deals for players aged at or around 30.
The likes of Willian, Ivan Perisic and Toby Alderweireld have all been heavily linked targets in the same age brackets. The pursuit of each of the players has seen Manchester United being reluctant to part ways with the asking price – closer to the £70 million that Bayern Munich are asking for Lewandowski.
On top of the staggering transfer fee, Manchester United will also likely have to hand the Pole a deal worth around £505,000 per week. While it is true that Alexis Sanchez is on a similar contract, there was basically no transfer fee involved in the Chilean’s move, the departure of Henrikh Mkhitaryan notwithstanding.
Couple the transfer fee with the astonishing wages, and it makes very little sense, if at all, for Manchester United to pay such amounts for a striker who is unlikely to stay for many years and might not even start games week-in week-out due to the presence of Lukaku.
Lewandowski, despite being a potential game changer, is a player whose move should not be prioritised by Manchester United, with other areas of the squad needing more urgent addressing. Without signing a right-sided attacker and a full-back, this is one pursuit that will only end up creating a problem similar to the left flank instead of creating a solution, especially considering the money involved.
