Chelsea plotting big-money Robert Lewandowski transfer even though we don't know who their manager will be
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Chelsea are chasing Robert Lewandowski after the striker announced he wants to leave Bayern Munich .
Poland international Lewandowski is under contract with the German giants until 2021, but he has recently hired Pini Zahavi – the agent who brokered Neymar’s world-record transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain last summer – to get him a move.
The Stamford Bridge club are looking to start their summer spending even before a deal is struck to bring in Maurizio Sarri as their new manager.
(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
Bayern will look for more than £80m for the 29-year-old who has been top scorer in the Bundesliga in two of the last three seasons, with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain also interested.
Super-agent Zahavi said: “Robert believes he needs a change and a new challenge in his career, Bayern officials know it.
“Robert is not motivated by money or by a specific club. Because almost all the best clubs would like to have the best striker in the world.
“Everybody in the Bayern leadership has had a great career. They must understand his situation.”
(Image: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Alvaro Morata largely flattered to deceive in his debut season at the Blues after a club-record £60m move from Real Madrid, and the former Juventus striker is keen to return to Italy.
Chelsea have also been linked with Inter Milan frontman Mauro Icardi and Sarri's former Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain as negotiations over the 59-year-old drag on.
The £7m buyout clause in his contract expires on Thursday, and the Italians have already appointed ex-Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti as his successor.
(Image: Reuters)
But club president Aurelio di Laurentiis is so annoyed with Sarri, who is expected to replace countryman Antonio Conte in the Blues' hotseat, seeking other jobs that he is threatening to hold him to the final two years of his £1.2m-a-year contract anyway.
Napoli's Belgium international forward Dries Mertens said: “Sarri is a world-class coach and he’ll prove it. All those he trained have made an important step forward in terms of quality and I am convinced he’ll find a great team where he can prove just how good he is.
"I hope he quickly finds a new club.”