BERLIN: Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski is set to move to Barcelona in a deal worth 50 million euros ($50.4m), according to multiple reports on Saturday.
Both clubs reached agreement overnight Friday, according to Bild and Kicker newspapers and the Sky Germany channel, ending a standoff with the Polish forward who has said he wants to leave the Bavarian giants.
At the end of May, Lewandowski said “it is certain that my story with Bayern has come to an end.”
Lewandowski, twice voted FIFA men’s player of the year, is reported to be set to sign a four-year contract with Barcelona.
“The striker has planned to arrive today (Saturday) in Barcelona to undergo his medical examination and sign for four seasons,” Catalan newspaper Sport reported.
“The Polish player will not be at the presentation of the Bavarian team today,” said Catalan daily Mundo Deportivo, adding that the 33-year-old will join the Spanish team for their tour of the United States from July 18-31.
Bayern had only offered Lewandowski a one-year extension to his contract, which expires in the summer of 2023, according to German media.
The Polish international was also unhappy with the salary offered and had clashed with the Bavarian club’s coach Julian Nagelsmann, over his tactical choices.
Lewandowski joined Bayern in 2014, scoring 344 goals in 375 competitive matches and broke the Bundesliga single-season scoring record.
He won the Bundesliga in each of his eight seasons with the club as well as the Champions League, the Club World Cup and three German Cups.
Bayern star Lewandowski poised for Barcelona move
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Bayern star Lewandowski poised for Barcelona move
- Both clubs reached agreement overnight Friday, according to Bild and Kicker newspapers and the Sky Germany channel
Alcaraz powers into Indian Wells quarter-finals
- Alcaraz will next face 2021 champion Cameron Norrie, who earlier beat Australia’s Rinky Hijikata 6-4 6-2
World number one Carlos Alcaraz continued his dominant run at Indian Wells, beating Norway’s Casper Ruud 6-1 7-6(2) on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals in the California desert.
The Spaniard relied on a near-flawless service game to seize control of the match, racing through the opening set in just 37 minutes after breaking Ruud’s serve three times.
Thirteenth-seeded Ruud raised his level in the second set and forced a tiebreak, hoping to push the match to a decider, but Alcaraz kept his foot on the gas to seal his 15th consecutive victory of the season to reach the quarter-finals for a fifth straight year.
“The conditions were difficult to be honest. Today the ball was tough to control but we both played great,” two-time champion Alcaraz said in his on-court interview.
“My first set was incredible I’m really happy of playing that kind of level, really happy to get through and hopefully I’ll play this level on the next round.”
Alcaraz will next face 2021 champion Cameron Norrie, who earlier beat Australia’s Rinky Hijikata 6-4 6-2, with the Spaniard looking to avenge a defeat to the Briton at last year’s Paris Masters.
SWIATEK, PEGULA THROUGH
World number two Iga Swiatek delivered a dominant 6-2 6-0 victory over Czech 13th seed Karolina Muchova, reeling off 10 consecutive games to secure her fifth win over the Czech, whom she also beat at the same stage of the tournament last year.
“I felt I was playing better and better, just great,” Swiatek said.
“I love playing here ... It’s a great place to play tennis, hopefully I can keep doing that until the end.”
Swiatek, chasing a third Indian Wells title, will face ninth seed Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals after the Ukrainian advanced when Katerina Siniakova retired injured.
American fifth seed Jessica Pegula overcame Belinda Bencic 6-3 7-6(5) to secure her first victory in five meetings between the pair.
Pegula, coming off a dramatic comeback win over Jelena Ostapenko, took control as she clinched the opening set — her first ever against the Swiss — before edging a tightly contested tiebreak to close out the match.
Russian 11th seed Daniil Medvedev beat Alex Michelsen 6-2 6-4 in a commanding performance, needing just one hour and 27 minutes to dismantle the American and maintain his strong form after winning last month’s Dubai Open.
