Bayern Munich Transfer News: Latest on Robert Lewandowski, Top Rumours

Bayern Munich manager Carlo Ancelotti says star striker Robert Lewandowski is happy at the club while criticising the Poland international's representative for suggesting otherwise.

Ancelotti has refuted talk Lewandowski wants to move on after feeling he wasn't backed enough by the team to be the Bundesliga's top goalscorer last season, per FourFourTwo: "Lewandowski has never complained to me; I finally congratulated him on his good season. I was satisfied with him, and he was pleased with us."

Specifically, Ancelotti lamented the actions of Lewandowski's agent: "As always there are agents who talk too much—I do not know why. It is not the first time an agent has used the newspapers to say something wrong; that's all. In a perfect world, agents do not talk."

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The Bayern manager was responding to a suggestion from Maik Barthel that Lewandowski felt slighted when he wasn't backed to win Germany's golden boot award on the final day of the Bundesliga season.

Speaking to German publication Kicker (h/t ESPN.co.uk's Mark Lovell) in June, Barthel revealed: "Robert told me there was no support from the coach or an appeal to support him in the final game to become top scorer. He was really disappointed, like I have never experienced before."

Soon after, Premier League champions Chelsea were said to have made a bid for Bayern's prolific No. 9, according to Maciej Iwanski of Polish television network TVP (h/t Metro).

In fairness to Barthel, the player himself appeared to declare his unhappiness soon after the German top-flight season ended. Reflecting on missing out to Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the race to be top scorer, Lewandowski said, per Metro's Mark Brus: "It does not hurt anymore, but it did at first. Maybe because I was not completely satisfied with the way my team helped me. Immediately after the last game, I felt anger. I was disappointed with my team. That was the feeling I had."

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Bayern can hardly afford to have their best attacking talent be unhappy. Lewandowski is the premier traditional centre-forward in Europe. He can play with his back to goal, link well with others, spin in behind and is a lethal finisher, both on the deck and in the air.

It's imperative Ancelotti keeps the former Dortmund man on side. Fortunately, Bayern know Lewandowski's importance and have warned interested parties the "forward is not for sale and stressed clubs who negotiate with the player without their permission 'risk being punished by FIFA,'" per FourFourTwo.

Midfielder Set for Bayern Stay

Another player linked with a move away who seems set to stay at Bayern is midfielder Renato Sanches. Club president Uli Hoeness has revealed the player signed from Benfica last summer will stay in Munich, per Kicker (h/t CalcioMercato.com): "He's going to stay here for one more season. We're here to help him and he never played one game without pressure last season."

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Hoeness' reference to the pressure Sanches felt during his debut campaign in Germany may have been a way of explaining his struggles last season. Sanches failed to score a goal or register a single assist, per WhoScored.com.

However, he is still only 19 and a player of undoubted potential. Said potential is no doubt why some of Europe's biggest clubs remain keen on the Portugal international, despite his struggles, with Manchester United and Serie A giants Juventus interested, per the CalcioMercato report.

Even though his talent is still highly regarded, Sanches has courted controversy. He recently apologised after posting a video on his Instagram account featuring him counting cash in a cavalier manner, per Thomas Bristow of the Daily Mirror.

The incident may be interpreted by some as a possible sign Sanches still lacks the maturity to make the grade at Bayern. Yet there is no doubting his talent as a powerful presence who can dictate games from the middle of the park when at his best.

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Ancelotti has already refreshed the Bayern midfield by signing Lyon's Corentin Tolisso. Getting the best out of Sanches is the next logical step toward making things over in the middle.

Meanwhile, making sure Lewandowski feels valued is crucial, since the striker is still the key to Bayern's bid for success on all fronts.