"There is no replacement" - Lothar Matthaus feels 30-year-old forward isn't like-for-like Robert Lewandowski successor at Bayern Munich

Former Ballon d'Or winner Lothar Matthaus believes Sadio Mane is not an adequate replacement for Robert Lewandowski at Bayern Munich.

Lewandowski looks set to leave the Bavarian outfit this summer and has indicated his desire to look for pastures anew. The Pole has been largely linked with a move to Barcelona.

Mane, meanwhile, looks set to exit Anfield this summer after a successful season with Liverpool. The Senegalese has been linked with a move to Bayern Munich, with the Reds rejecting the Bundesliga giants' opening bid for Mane.

Matthaus, a seven-time Bundesliga winner with Bayern, reckons Mane's not a like-for-like replacement for Lewandowski. In his column for Sky Sports (via Bavarian Football Works), he wrote:

“Apart from the fact that there is no replacement for the Pole in the world, I don’t see Mane as a center forward, but on the wing.”

Matthaus did, however, praise the Liverpool forward, calling him a 'wonderful attraction for the whole Bundesliga'. He also believes Mane would be 'an absolute super transfer'.

Lewandowski scored 50 goals in 46 games across competitions last season. Mane, meanwhile, netted 23 times in 51 games for Liverpool but was largely deployed on the wings and not as an out-and-out centre-forward.

---

Robert Lewandowski's staggering goal record for Bayern Munich

Robert Lewandowski is arguably one of the greatest free transfers in modern football history.

The 33-year-old joined Bayern Munich from their arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund on a Bosman move in the summer of 2014. Since then, he has scored a scarcely believable 344 goals in 374 games across competitions for the Bavarians. He has also recorded 72 assists.

The Pole has also won 19 trophies at the Allianz Arena, including eight Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League title. He was a key part of their treble-winning 2019-20 campaign, picking up the UEFA Best Player in Europe and The Best FIFA Men's Player awards. Lewandowski won the latter award in 2021 as well.

Meanwhile, Mane's record at Liverpool pales in comparison, though it is certainly commendable for a wide forward. Since joining the Reds in 2016, he has scored 120 times in 269 games across competitions, also laying out 48 assists. Mane has won six titles at Anfield, including the Champions League and Premier League.