Polish striker Robert Lewandowski is “excited” about his signing for Barcelona, who wants to help “return to the top”. “I’m finally here. I’m very happy to be at Barça,” Lewandowski assured the Barca club media after joining his new teammates in Miami for a US tour.
“The last few days have been long, but in the end the agreement has become a reality. I am ready to face this new challenge in my career,” he added.
Barcelona announced on Saturday the signing of the Polish international star from Bayern Munich, without providing data for now on the amount of the operation or the duration of the contract.
The value of the transfer
According to several German media, the cost of the transfer rises to 45 million euros (45.4 million dollars) guaranteed, plus 5 million euros (5.04 million dollars) in possible supplements.
Similarly, according to the press, Lewandowski is preparing to signing a four-year contract with Barça, when Bayern would have barely offered him a one-year renewal.
“I am here to help Barça get back to the top and win as many titles as possible,” Lewandowski added to the Barcelona media. “I hope that we start winning and that we start well. I like to win titles and now a new chapter in my life begins,” insisted the striker.
About DT Xavi Hernández, Lewandowski said: “From the first moment I spoke with him, I saw that his ideas fit with mine. It was easy to make the decision. I want to play and win titles and I know that with Xavi this will be very possible. He knows perfectly how to lead Barça. He was an incredible player and now he’s a great coach. He has a great future and I want to be part of it.”
Lewandowski is already with his new teammates in Miami, where Barcelona kick off an American tour this week, which includes a classic against Real Madrid in Las Vegas on Saturday.
In principle, the presentation of Lewandowski as a new Barça player was scheduled, in Miami, for yesterday afternoon. However, the club decided to postpone the presentation of the Polish international, without disclosing the reasons for this change in his schedule.
Barça will debut on the tour against Inter Miami today at 8 pm, local time (7 pm) and, if their new scorer has all the transfer papers in order, he could play his first minutes as a Barça player.
The other signings
Along with the Pole, Barça hired, for the time being, the winger Brazilian Raphinha, from Leeds; Danish central defender Andreas Christensen (Chelsea) and Ivorian midfielder Franck Kessié (AC Milan).
He also managed to renew French winger Ousmane Dembelé until 2024, ending months of negotiations.
With all of them, FC Barcelona will try to leave behind a 2021-2022 season for oblivion in which it was second in the Spanish league, 13 points behind Real Madrid and was eliminated in the Champions League from the group stage.
The team coached by Xavi has reason for optimism. In addition to the signings, the squad has young talents such as the Spanish internationals Ansu Fati, Pedri, Gavi or Ferran Torres and veterans such as Ter Stegen, Jordi Alba, Gerard Piqué or Sergio Busquets.
In the United States, where Barça will play four games in just 12 days, it is likely that all the players will have minutes, including the Bosnian Miralem Pjanic, whom the Spanish press places among the possible discards this season, and the Dutchman Frenkie De Jong , who does not want to leave Barça despite the fact that the club declared him transferable.
After the tour premiere against Inter Miami on Tuesday, the Catalans will play Real Madrid in Las Vegas on Saturday, before facing Juventus Turin on the 26th in Dallas and the New York Red Bulls on the 30th in New York.
SPORTS AND AFP
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