Former Poland striker Andrzej Juskowiak believes Robert Lewandowski will join Barcelona in the summer. The 51-year-old also claimed that he “suspected that Lewandowski was leaving" Bayern Munich.
Lewandowski has long been linked with a move to the Catalan giants (via Transfer News Live). The Poland international still has a year left on his contract, meaning Bayern still have the final say.
However, considering that Lewandowski does not want to renew his contract (via: B/R Football), Bayern could be compelled to sell him this summer itself or risk losing him for free.
When asked to comment on his compatriot’s future, Juskowiak admitted that he saw a switch to Barcelona on the horizon. Speaking to Sport, he said:
“I perfectly imagine that Robert will go to Barça. I suspected that Lewandowski was leaving . For me it is unknown if another year would go well at Bayern. I don't know what happened internally. Robert will not go to a club that offers him a lot of money, but that he has little chance of winning the Champions League. He wants at least the sporting level of Bayern.”
Juskowiak also thought the time was right for the Ballon d’Or aspirant to move to the Camp Nou.
The 51-year-old continued:
“If he changes now he will get a two or three-year contract with his new club . Besides, it is easier for him to leave now, because he is a year younger and It is less risky to join a new club than next summer.”
Since joining from arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund in 2014, Lewandowski has played 374 games for the German champions, recording 344 goals and 72 assists.
He has won eight league titles, one Champions League trophy, and three German Cups, amongst other honors, for Bayern.
Juskowiak fears Lewandowski could struggle at Barcelona the same way Lionel Messi has at Paris Saint-Germain
Having second 17 seasons at Barca, Lionel Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) last summer.
The transition hasn’t been easy on Messi, with him scoring only six times in Ligue 1 and cutting a frustrating figure in the Champions League Round of 16 tie against Real Madrid. Juskowiak fears that Lewandowski could also go through a similar phase at Barcelona.
He warned his compatriot, saying:
“The question is whether he will be able to do as well in the League as in the Bundesliga. His [Messi] change to Ligue 1 to play for PSG is a chilling example. At Barça, the game was tailor-made for Messi, with teammates who played him perfectly. In Paris hasn't had that and its image has suffered.”
Juskowiak added:
“There is no club in Europe where you receive as many assists from your teammates as you do at Bayern. At Barça there are more players in midfield who want to score goals themselves. and they don't always look for the centre-forward.”
Lewandowski scored 50 goals in 46 appearances across competitions in the 2021-22 season.