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Lewandowski 'has better chance of joining Barcelona' claims Laporta

The Polish striker has been strongly linked with a summer move to Camp Nou

Joan Laporta has said Robert Lewandowski "has a better chance" of joining Barcelona in response to a fan asking about a potential move for the Bayern Munich star.

Lewandowski has spent the last eight years at Bayern, but his current contract is due to expire in 2023.

GOAL has reported the German champions will open extension talks with the 33-year-old before the season ends, but he could depart this summer if an agreement is not reached with Barca among those being linked with a swoop.

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What has Laporta said?

The Spanish giants are also thought to be interested in Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland, but his reported €30 million-per-year salary demands are likely to prove too steep.

Laporta has insisted Barca won't exceed La Liga's wage restrictions as they continue to try and balance the books following a record-breaking year of debt in 2021.

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Lewandowski could be a much cheaper option given his age, and the Blaugrana president has now confirmed he is a realistic target.

A fan stopped Laporta after spotting him in public this week and asked: "Joan, is Lewandowski coming or not?" The Camp Nou chief replied: "This one has a better chance of coming, yes."

Bayern's stance on Lewandowski

Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn has confirmed they are eager to tie Lewandowski down to a new contract.

However, Kahn also admits the Poland international may take some persuading to stay at Allianz Arena given he has already won seven Bundesliga titles and the Champions League while breaking scoring records with the club.

"As of today, Robert has a contract with us for next season," Kahn said earlier this month. "We are in contact with Robert and want him to stay at Bayern for as long as possible.

"Apparently, some believe that such talks and contract negotiations are just like an online manager game, where I click on something and he then extends his contract. You also have to look at the situation of the players.

"Players who have performed well at this club for many years are outstanding. Robert became a world-class footballer with us. Robert is a player who has the potential to score 30 to 40 goals every year.

"Of course, at some point, players like this get the idea that 'I've achieved everything here and won everything'. Then it takes time to convince him to stay here."