‘He wanted to join Real Madrid because Ronaldo played there’: Robert Lewandowski’s former agent reveals Bayern Munich star nearly turned down a move there so he could join Portuguese forward in Spain
- Robert Lewandowski joined Bayern Munich on a free transfer in summer 2014
- But the striker could have moved to Real Madrid instead of the German giants
- He was keen to play with Cristiano Ronaldo but decided against it in the end
Robert Lewandowski was desperate to join Real Madrid instead of Bayern Munich so he could play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, according to his former adviser Cezary Kucharski.
The striker joined Bayern on a free transfer from fellow Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2014 and has been a key player ever since making the move.
But his and Bayern’s fortunes could have been very different if Lewandowski had decided to go against the deal he had agreed and move to the Santiago Bernabeu instead.
Robert Lewandowski’s former adviser has revealed he nearly joined Real Madrid in 2014
The Poland striker was desperate to join up with Cristiano Ronaldo at the Santiago Bernabeu
‘At one point in the negotiations, he no longer wanted to sign a contract with Bayern, and wanted Real Madrid instead because Ronaldo played there,’ Kucharski told Polish YouTube channel Futbolownia.
‘I convinced him that he had to be the number one striker at a big club.
‘At Real Madrid, he would have prevailed over Karim Benzema at some point, but I couldn’t allow him to move to a club as a number two given the status he already had at that time.
‘I emphasised this in all discussions, whether it was with Real Madrid, Arsenal or Manchester City.’
Lewandowski’s goalscoring has put Bayern on the cusp of securing an eighth straight title
There were also doubts in Lewandowski’s mind over whether he would fit under Pep Guardiola and if he would beat Mario Mandzukic to a starting berth.
Asked about taking Mandzukic’s No 9 shirt, Kucharski said: ‘It’s funny today, but Lewy really had doubts at the time.
‘That was crucial for me and showed me that Bayern was the safest move for him after his time at Borussia Dortmund.’
Lewandowski, now 31, has helped Bayern to the cusp of an eighth straight Bundesliga title.
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