Barcelona have an offer on the table for Robert Lewandowski, club president Joan Laporta has confirmed, with the Liga giants now waiting on a response from Bayern Munich.
The Poland international striker has made no secret of the fact that, at 33, he is looking to take on a new challenge outside Germany after 12 goal-laden years with Borussia Dortmund and the reigning Bundesliga champions.
Interest from Barca first surfaced in the spring when it became apparent the two-time winner of the FIFA Best award was mulling over a change of scenery, and an official approach has now been made to secure his signature.
Will Barcelona sign Robert Lewandowski?
Laporta is reluctant to be drawn on the chances of Barca being successful in their bid for Lewandowski, but he is hoping to get marquee additions on board for the campaign at Camp Nou.
He has told reporters of the links to Lewandowski: “Barca is going to be 125 years old and there are few clubs that have a history like ours.
“We respect Bayern. You know that we have made an offer for him and we are waiting for an answer. Let's see if it is positive. We appreciate the player's effort.”
Are sales being planned at Barcelona?
While looking to get Lewandowski through the door, departures are being planned by the Blaugrana alongside possible arrivals.
French defender Clement Lenglet is one of those that could be offloaded, with Tottenham closing in on a season-long loan agreement for the 27-year-old centre-half.
Sporting director Jordi Cruyff has said: “Lenglet's departure is close. We will make it official when everything is defined.
“Our job is to give the coach as many weapons as possible so that he uses the weapons he deems appropriate. Build a competitive squad that makes the coach think.”
Will Gerard Pique be staying at Barcelona?
With Lenglet on the way out and Samuel Umtiti expected to follow him at some stage, Barcelona have moved to bolster their defensive ranks with the signing of former Chelsea star Andreas Christensen as a free agent.
He joins Eric Garcia and Ronald Araujo in Xavi’s squad, while Laporta insists there will remain a role in Catalunya for 35-year-old World Cup winner Gerard Pique.
“He is clear that he wants to have a good season,” Laporta said of a long-serving stalwart.
“From a technical point of view, the coach will assess what he has to do, but on a personal level he has told me that he wants to perform at a good level. He will play the role of incorporating the new signings like the captain he is.”