Former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has weighed in on the club’s pursuit of Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski.

Barcelona have been trying hard to finally replace Lionel Messi, more than a year after their departure and are reportedly closing in on a deal to sign Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski. The Blaugrana see him as a short-term option to solve their attacking woes for the time being.

Barcelona also signed Lewandowski’s former teammate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the January transfer window and have the likes of Memphis Depay and Martin Braithwaite in their squad as well. They are now in serious pursuit of Lewandowski but are yet to get the deal through.

Lewandowski has a year left on his Bayern contract but has confirmed that he wants to leave the club this summer, with his heart set on a move to Barcelona. However, even at 33 years of age, the striker could command a transfer fee of around €60 million, considering his exploits in European football over the past few seasons.

Ronald Koeman, Barcelona’s former manager and player, believes signing an ageing player at a substantial cost is not the right way forward for the club. He praised the Bayern Munich attacker but stressed that he might just have a season or two left in the tank.

Robert Lewandowski headed to Barcelona? (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Robert Lewandowski headed to Barcelona? (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images)

“Lewandowski is a great player, a fixed scorer, but he is a certain age. 35? I have my doubts about paying €50 or €60 million for a player, in addition to the salary. Maybe he has two years left. There are many doubts about whether to file it or not to file it,” Koeman said on an Esport3 program.

The Dutch tactician also opened on Frenkie de Jong’s proposed move to Manchester United, claiming the midfielder wishes to stay at Camp Nou.

“All I know is that Frenkie de Jong wants to stay at Barça. He said a couple of days ago that he wants to stay at Barça. What I don’t know is if Barça want to sell Frenkie or need the money because he’s one of the few players for whom a high price can be drawn. For me Frenkie de Jong is a great player for Barca,” Koeman added.

Also Read: Three Robert Lewandowski alternatives for Barcelona

Despite Koeman’s comments, signing Lewandowski could be the right step forward for Barcelona, considering there is hardly any other striker in the market who can hit the ground running and guarantee at least 30 goals in a season.

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