Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has said Robert Lewandowski is not for sale — at any price — amid reports that Chelsea are the latest top club chasing the Poland striker.
“Our door remains closed, the top quality we have at Bayern Munich will stay here,” Rummenigge told Munich-based newspaper TZ.
The UK media has suggested Lewandowski, under contract at Bayern until 2021, could move to Chelsea and the Polish striker’s agent revealed in May that his client wants to leave Munich after four successful years.
In the past, Lewandowski has frequently been linked to Spanish giants Real Madrid.
However Rummenigge says Lewandowski, the Bundesliga’s top-scorer last season with 29 goals and who has a market value of around €85 million ($99 million), is going nowhere — whatever the amount offered.
“With Robert, we clearly want to send a signal to people within and outside the club: Bayern Munich are completely different to other clubs who get weak when certain sums are mentioned,” added Rummenigge.
“We are completely satisfied with him, and in his position there are only a few players who are comparable.
“So it’s not in our interest to hand him over — no matter if someone puts €100 or €150 million on the table.”
Bayern have just returned from a two-match tour of the USA, losing 2-0 to Juventus and 3-2 to Manchester City without Lewandowski and their international stars, who were rested after the World Cup.
Rummenigge has ruled out Bayern signing defender Benjamin Pavard, a World Cup winner with France, from VfB Stuttgart this summer.
“No, we have enough quality (at center-back),” Rummenigge told magazine Sport Bild.
However, several top Bayern players are the subject of rumored high-profile transfers.
Jerome Boateng is reportedly on the verge of joining Paris Saint-Germain, while Arturo Vidal has been linked to Inter Milan, Thiago Alcantara could return to Barcelona and defender Juan Bernat is up for sale.
At the other end of the financial scale, Bayern have signed Robert Kovac as assistant coach for a nominal fee of just one euro.
Robert, 44, the younger brother of Bayern’s new head coach Niko, 46, has joined his sibling in Munich.
The brothers worked together at Eintracht Frankfurt last season and Bayern paid a token amount to buy Robert out of his Frankfurt contract.
“Yes, it’s true,” Eintracht’s director of sport Fredi Bobic confirmed in German daily Bild.
“It could have also been zero, so we agreed on a symbolic gesture of a euro, also for legal reasons.
“It’s normal practice, even if it sounds funny.”
Bayern start their week-long pre-season training camp in the idyllic Bavarian resort of Tegernsee on Thursday.
They will attempt to win a seventh straight German league title with the new season to kick off on August 24 when they host Hoffenheim. Bayern face Manchester United in their final pre-season friendly on Sunday.
Bayern Munich boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says Robert Lewandowski is going nowhere
Bayern Munich boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says Robert Lewandowski is going nowhere
- Bayern's star striker reportedly want to leave the German giants.
- Chelsea one of many clubs interested in signing the prized Pole
Archer dismisses Australian tailenders for a 5-wicket haul to keep England in the Ashes contest
ADELAIDE, Australia: Jofra Archer dismissed Mitchell Starc for a well-made 54 and No. 11 Nathan Lyon to restrict Australia to 371 on Thursday and complete a five-wicket haul to keep England in the Ashes contest.
Archer picked up the first wicket of the third test, two more in the first over after lunch later Wednesday and the last two on Day 2 after Australia resumed at 322 for eight.
Starc made it back-to-back half centuries to continue his run of form that has earned him player-of-the-match honors in Australia’s opening eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane.
He was unbeaten on 33 overnight and quickly raced to his half-century, plundering four boundaries in the first 10 deliveries of the morning: two slashing cuts in the first over from Archer and two more to wayward deliveries from Brydon Carse.
Starc reached 50 with a single, hit the first ball of Archer’s next over to the boundary but then the England paceman bowled him with a delivery that angled in from around the stumps.
The last-wicket pair added 23 runs before Archer trapped Lyon lbw, leaving Scott Boland unbeaten on 14 from 21 deliveries.
Archer returned 5-53 from 20.2 overs for his fourth five-wicket haul in test cricket, and third in the Ashes.
Victory a must by England
England needs a victory in Adelaide to have any chance of reclaiming the Ashes in this five-test series. A good batting performance in hot conditions on Thursday will help the cause, particularly with the Australians in the field and the temperature forecast to get close to 40C on Day 2.
On Wednesday, Alex Carey posted a hometown hundred and Usman Khawaja scored 82 after he was recalled at the last minute to replace Steve Smith on the eve of his 39th birthday.
Carey’s 106 was slightly contentious after he survived a review for caught behind when he was on 72. England reviewed the initial not out decision but Carey survived as decision review technology showed a noise spike before the ball had reached his bat.
The technology’s operators, BBG, later conceded after play ended that an operator error was most likely.
“Given that Alex Carey admitted he had hit the ball in question, the only conclusion that can be drawn from this, is that the Snicko operator at the time must have selected the incorrect stump mic for audio processing,” BBG founder Warren Brennan said in a statement.
Before play on Day 2, the ICC match referee restored one review to England because of the error.
