Robert Lewandowski to Hold Contract Extension Talks With Bayern Amid Real Madrid Links
Bayern Munich will hold talks with Robert Lewandowski over extending his stay at the Allianz Arena amid persistent rumours of a move to Real Madrid.
The Poland international has been heavily linked with a transfer away from the Bavarian giants in recent years, with Madrid once again touted as a possible destination this summer following the return of Zinedine Zidane as manager.
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Lewandowski's contract with Bayern expires in 2021, but according to Goal, the Bundesliga side are keen to die him down to a fresh new deal.
Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic told Sport1: "Lewa is one of the best strikers in the world, if not the best number nine in the world right now. We will hold talks, but there is no rush.
"He's simply an ambitious player who'd like to score goals in every game, a player who wants to put his mark on the game. He's a complete professional."
He added: "I've rarely seen anything like it. I've played with many players, but he's always burning with ambition and always wants to win.
"Hence it’s obvious he’s also dissatisfied and feels bad when he's not winning and scoring goals. That's what distinguishes him."
The 30-year-old has enjoyed another prolific season for Bayern, with 17 goals and seven assists in 24 Bundesliga games. There had been rumours of Lewandowski's interest in a move to Real earlier in the season, though these were quashed after the Pole's former agent, Cezary Kucharski, gave an interview in January stating that as soon as Lewandowski switched representatives a move to Madrid wasn't going to happen.
"He had a lot of options of clubs. The thing is that a move to France [PSG] did not suit his wife and they did not want to move to England. The only thing that counted for Robert was the Spanish sun, and Real Madrid.
"The minute Lewandowski's connection with [new agent] Zahavi was announced, it was clear to me that there was no possibility of signing for Real Madrid."
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The striker's brace in the 6-0 win against Wolfsburg ensured his status as the league's top foreign goal-scorer on 197, surpassing ex-Bayern striker Claudio Pizarro.
