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Klopp: Lewandowski will join Bayern Munich

By on July 7, 2013

Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp did not disregard the fact that in-form forward Robert Lewandowski will almost definitely leave the club, telling German newspaper Welt am Sonnteg that he fully expects the 24-year-old to join Bayern Munich when his contract ends at the end of next season. With Mario Gotze already making the switch to Munich’s top club from Dortmund Klopp will be desperate to stop Bayern from continuing to pluck his key players away, although he has said that he fully thinks Lewandowski join the Bavarians despite his club insisting there is no possibility their front-man will be allowed to move to Munich.

Lewandowski, who has been on stellar form scoring 36 goals in 48 appearances for The Borussians last season, has been heavily tipped to join Bayern for several months, with Bayern’s former manager Jupp Heynckes also claiming the Polish international will not have to wait long to follow Gotze to Bayern.

Klopp accepts that Lewandowski will move, as there appears no chance of the Manchester United target signing a new contract at the Westfalenstadion, although the Bundesliga runners-up will want him to sign a new one or two year deal as to at least make Bayern pay for the forward instead of picking him up on a free transfer. Still, it says something about the bitterness between the two clubs that Dortmund would rather let Lewandowski remain up North for another year before moving on a free transfer than making their rivals pay this summer.

Speaking to Welt am Sonnteg, a German newspaper, Klopp did reveal he expects Lewandowski to make the move down South, but wants the No9 to stay at the Champions League runners-up for another year.

“I think it is a fact that Robert Lewandowski will join Bayern at the end of the coming season,” he said. “What matters now is what we do before that point. That is our concern, and we have an obligation to our fans to ensure we are competitive in the coming season.

“To a point, we were willing to discuss Robert’s desire to move, but since nothing happened during that period, we eventually had to say: ‘So now it no longer works for us’. And now we want to prove we can be successful in the coming year with a quality player like Robert.

“It is all about our results in the coming season, and I know Robert sees things the same way.”

Klopp also said Dortmund can be better the Bavarians, despite their rivals financial might.

“We can’t just buy two players for every position like Bayern, and that is not something we can address exclusively with money,” he said. “We also want to continue to give very young players the chance to fill the gap.”

“We have a bow and arrow and, if we aim accurately, we can hit the target. Only the Bavarians have, I feel, a bazooka. The probability that they will hit the target is so much better. Nonetheless, Robin Hood is said to have been very successful.”

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.