Things are warming up in the Bundesliga transfer market and in Munich the media crowd is waiting for the big announcement.
When will Robert Lewandowski’s future be settled?
FC Bayern stormed to yet another league title in May but the Bavarians aren’t having it all their own way in the close season. Things took an unwelcome turn when annual top scorer Lewandowski announced his intention to leave, with Barcelona his preferred destination. The club will struggle to prepare for the 2022/23 campaign the longer this situation lingers on and head coach Julian Nagelsmann has the morale of his other players to consider, as well as lining up a potential replacement.
Things have become a little tense between player and club but Bayern midfielder Leon Goretzka refused to be drawn into the discussion when he was asked about his team-mate’s intentions, saying: “I think it does not help to give my two cents regarding this topic. Enough people have already spoken about it. Bayern and Lewy had a success story together, so I’d be happy if both sides take out a bit of their emotionality and find a good solution.”
Lewandowski’s potential move to the Camp Nou seems to be progressing but it is not yet near the signing stage. The Blaugrana chiefs are already thinking about a Plan B, should the move fall through; with Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku on their radar. The prolific Belgian striker is reported to be ready to leave Stamford Bridge after an unhappy return to the club. But he was excellent at his previous side, Inter Milan, and would be a good fit for Barca if the Catalans can’t complete the Lewandowski transfer.
The off-field saga at Chelsea is as good as over, following the announcement of new owners, and head coach Thomas Tuchel can now prepare his squad for next season and he will help Lukaku move if that’s what his man wants.
The Bundesliga 2022 betting odds will back Die Bayern for another title of course, but the likely loss of Lewandowski will give other teams cause for some optimism. We’ll be all over the story here at SBOTOP and the next few days promise to be intriguing.
It seems that Bayern are almost ready to let Lewy go and there may be an incoming to replace the Polish striker in the form of Liverpool striker Sadio Mane. The Reds’ hit man is reported to be ready to leave Anfield and he has been heavily linked with FC Bayern. But the Bavarians aren’t having it all their own way in this potential deal either, as it seems that moneybags Paris Saint-Germain are beginning to sniff around, and the Ligue 1 side can pay a bigger fee and higher wages than Bayern.
Hertha hire Schwarz
In other Bundesliga 2022 news the latest managerial change has been announced in Berlin where Sandro Schwarz has been appointed head coach of Hertha following a stint in Russia with Dynamo Moscow.
The 43 year old succeeds Felix Magath after the club finished 16th in the 2021/22 campaign and narrowly escaped relegation, beating Hamburg 2-1 in the two leg play-off. Despite the backing of wealthy businessman Lars Windhorst, Hertha have underperformed badly and morale at the club is low. A former Mainz player and head coach Schwarz is well equipped to lift the players and fans can look forward to next season with more optimism.
Expectations will be high at Hertha, particularly as their city rivals, Union Berlin, managed to finish the campaign in fifth despite working with a small budget. And Fredi Bobic, managing director at the club is certain he has got the right man. “With his personality and his positive and forward-thinking style of football, Sandro can create a connection between what happens out on the pitch and the club culture,” he said. “That is what we need at Hertha BSC.”
Another big name is back in the Bundesliga after Werder Bremen secured promotion from Bundesliga 2 on the final day of the season, beating Jahn Regensburg 2-0 to return to the top flight at the first attempt. Head coach Ole Werner is another young manager to take the reigns in the Bundesliga, at the age of 34, and he showed great leadership to lead Werder back to where their passionate fans believe they belong.
The four times winners of the Bundesliga and five times winners of the DFB Pokal have been a powerhouse in German football quite recently, winning both competitions in the 21st century, and Werner has plans to bring the good times back to the 42,000 capacity Weserstadion.
And he has made a good start in the transfer window, bringing in commanding defender Amos Pieper from Arminia Bielefeld and Hertha’s defensive midfielder Niklas Stark.
With this week’s positive news, neither Werder nor Hertha should feature in the 2023 relegation battle.
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