Chelsea want Lewy too
Chelsea are set to join the race to sign Robert Lewandowski despite the fact he favours a summer move to Barcelona, the Guardian reports, while Bayern Munich also have no intention of selling the striker. Lewandowski’s contract expires in 2023, and with Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn seemingly blocking his exit this summer, it remains to be seen what transfer fee could tempt the German champions given they would end up losing him for free next year. Lewandowski wants to play in Spain, but Chelsea would explore the possibility of signing the 33-year-old if new owner Todd Boehly takes over.
Bundesliga
‘No player above the club’ – Bayern CEO Kahn blocks Lewandowski exit
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Paper Round’s view: Kahn’s “there is no player above the club” was pretty forthright, but if Lewandowski keeps pushing for a move then he may well push him out of the club. Of course Bayern do not want to strengthen a rival, but if the player wants to leave they may as well try to get a decent fee – and when it comes to European rivals anyway, Barca are not quite at that level, even if they do sign Lewandowski.
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Mourinho and Newcastle?
Despite Eddie Howe leading Newcastle to Premier League safety, and beating Arsenal on Monday night, Marca reports the club could look at bringing in Jose Mourinho. With Newcastle’s new owners envisioning a steady rise up the standings and an eventual shot at reaching the Champions League, Mourinho is being sounded out as a potential future head coach. However, the Portuguese is currently focused on Roma, and it would take a tempting offer to convince him otherwise.
Paper Round’s view: There will come a difficult time in Project Newcastle when the club feel they have outgrown Howe. That may seem harsh, but it will likely come true, and like City landing on Pep Guardiola and Liverpool on Jurgen Klopp, Newcastle would love to make that level of appointment. In fairness, Mourinho isn’t that guy, but he could be an experienced stepping stone before – perhaps five to 10 years down the line – Newcastle are capable of signing the next, best coach.
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Gundogan set to leave Man City
Ilkay Gundogan is free to leave Manchester City this summer, the Mail reports. The German was Pep Guardiola’s first signing at City, but with a year left on his contract he will be offloaded given they can not offer him assurances that he can start every game at the club. Gundogan was spotted at Manchester airport on Monday morning, prompting the Mail to claim Real Madrid had attempted to sign the 31-year-old while he was still at Borussia Dortmund.
Paper Round’s view: Something always has to give at a side like City, particularly with new players always coming in. Fernandinho also going signals that the revolving door could see two new midfield faces this summer, although whether they can match Fernandinho and Gundogan’s quality remains to be seen. A big call.
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West Ham want to double Bowen’s wages
West Ham are hoping to tie Jarrod Bowen down to a lucrative new contract, the Mail reports. Bowen has reached double figures for both goals and assists in the Premier League this season, and is on course for an England call-up ahead of the Nations League next month. The Hammers want Declan Rice to sign an extension, and while they are having difficulty there, they hope Bowen will accept an offer that would double his wages from the current £60,000-a-week he earns.
Paper Rounds’ view: A just reward for a key player, particularly with some of the bigger clubs linked with Bowen these past few months. Rice will be the priority, but getting Bowen to extend would be a boost ahead of another European campaign.
Transfers
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13/05/2022 AT 09:28
