Robert Lewandowski's final few weeks at Bayern Munich were tumultuous, but despite all the emotions that surround his dramatic exit Jurgen Klinsmann believes the Polish star will someday be welcomed back with open arms.
Lewandowski joined Barcelona for a potential fee of €50 million, ending his Bayern tenure after eight years, 344 goals, and several bitter weeks of back-and-forth as he pushed for a move to La Liga.
Due to the manner of his exit, Lewandowski never received a proper send-off in Munich, much like legends Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery did ahead of their departure, but Klinsmann says that he believes Lewandowski will someday get the proper goodbye he deserves.
What did Klinsmann say about Lewandowski?
"Well, I think in the short term, there's a little bit of sadness," Klinsmann told GOAL. "Maybe also a little bit of attention because there was still hope that he would stay and not get moved out.
"I think you let the grass grow for a couple of months and then I think all of Bayern Munich fans, the club, everyone involved will be forever thankful to Robert for what he's done. He will be definitely one of the biggest legends in the history of the club, one of the most exciting, one of the most exceptional players.
"There will be an opportunity when he comes back. Maybe it's a friendly game, or it's maybe even, down the road, a European cup competition or whatever, where he will get an exceptional reception from the Bayern fans.
"For a couple of weeks, maybe there will be a little bit of bitterness for some of the fans, but that goes away, definitely goes away. So in the long run, he will be remembered as one of their greatest."
Bayern's business
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Getty ImagesBayern have certainly not rested on their laurels, despite winning the Bundesliga every year for the last decade.
They've moved swiftly to sign new stars, with Sadio Mane being brought in from Liverpool to add another option to the attack in the wake of Lewandowski's departure.
They've also signed Ajax duo Ryan Gravenberch and Noussair Mazraoui while prying Dutch star Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus for an initial fee of €67 million (£57m/$69m).
Klinsmann believes the club has done enough to continue their stranglehold on Bundesliga for years to come.
"I think they've done tremendously well," Klinsmann said. "They came up with Mane and I was really impressed
" I thought that he was at the right place there with Jurgen Klopp and he's done fantastic, absolutely fantastic, with Liverpool then also with the national team and we're going to see him in Qatar in November and December. So to get him from Liverpool is a big deal, a really big deal.
"Then they added another huge piece in De Ligt, a very young, highly-promising centre back and growing at the age of 22. He's already a leader. That's huge. That's huge.
"Knowing Bayern Munich, they're always looking. They're always checking the market and when there's the opportunity to get another one or two very, very crucial pieces for their puzzle, they're going to do it.
"Don't be surprised if they do it but from one of their main rivals because that's what they traditionally did over the last 30-40 years, but they've already kind of covered up a lot in this transfer market and any other player now coming in as just another piece of quality."
Have Dortmund done enough after selling Haaland?
Bayern aren't the only club to lose a star striker, as Erling Haaland's long-awaited Borussia Dortmund departure came to fruition as he moved to Manchester City.
"We all knew that this day will come because he's just exploded over the last three years," Klinsmann said. "This kid is very special and when they get the big, big numbers, the big clubs come then. It's just normal that you've got to let him go.
"I'm curious to see how he will fit in at Man City in the style of Pep Guardiola, very curious to see that. At the same time, Dortmund also moved on and is trying to solve that position in the best way possible. It's normal that it happens, but it makes you a bit sad to see them go."
Dortmund have turned to two signings to try and replace the irreplaceable Haaland, having brought in Sebastian Haller from Ajax and Karim Adeyemi from RB Salzburg - but Klinsmann believes Dortmund need a change in culture, not signings.
"I've always liked Haller and was sad when he left going to West Ham in the first place," he said. "David Moyes obviously has a very, very good eye on players and talent and he's done tremendously well.
"I think it's not only the player material that obviously needs to step it up in terms of competing with Bayern and making it very difficult for Bayern for the next title race.
"It's also probably a little bit of a switch of culture that they need to discuss on the inside in order to become more hungry and more nasty, more driving, more consistent in what they're doing because the quality is there, but it's the consistency over the entire year that makes the difference.
"They're always there and then by February or March, it's when Bayern start to run away of the competition and those are the moments that you need to catch that wave. They can compete but you need to be very, very consistent.
"So hopefully that's the key message there at Dortmund: don't let easy games get away and suddenly the gap is again 10 points. Just stay with them and give them a real battle. I hope so."