Chelsea Transfer News: Blues Should Bemoan Missing out on Robert Lewandowski

You can stop hoping for that Robert Lewandowski move to Chelsea now because it's not going to happen.

The Daily Mirror's Alan Nixon reported earlier in the month the Blues were planning to make a move for the Polish striker, only in the event they miss out on Wayne Rooney.

There is still a chance—albeit extremely remote—Rooney ends up at Stamford Bridge.

However, Chelsea have lost their chance to get Lewandowski, at least this summer. He told Bild, "It is the case that I will stay for another year at Dortmund. We have settled all our disagreements and talked things over. There are no more problems" (h/t David Raven of the Daily Mirror).

Although Lewandowski's contract ran through this season, Borussia Dortmund have agreed to give him a pay rise in order to keep him happy, as reported by German football journalist Raphael Honigstein.

Perhaps that's why there aren't any more problems.

The German club has been very up front about their desire to keep Lewandowski. Honigstein reported back in June that their firm stance was more than just a bluff.

Prying the 25-year-old out of Dortmund would not have been easy.

First there's the issue of his club not wanting to sell him. Everybody has their price though, and a bid in the £30-40 million range probably would have done the job. That's £30-40 million Dortmund won't be getting a year from now when Lewandowski leaves the club on a free.

Plus, that would mean he's not moving to another German club. Dortmund would probably much rather have Lewandowski go abroad than stay in the Bundesliga and help Bayern win the title.

Then there's the question of whether or not the player would want to move abroad. He had his heart set on a move to Bayern Munich this summer. Although it won't happen this year, all Lewandowski has to do is wait until next summer, and he is free to move anywhere he wants.

As with Dortmund, if Chelsea made the price right, Lewandowski likely would have packed his bags for London. Getting £120,000-150,000 a week is a nice step up from what he's getting now, and he's joining a club competing for the Premier League and Champions League titles.

Chelsea would have really had to work to get any deal done, but it would have paid off in spades down the line.

But there isn't another striker who has the kind of broad range of skills that the Dortmund player possesses.

You can have him stay close to the goal and play as more of a poacher, or you can line him up as more of a second striker who looks to run at the goal and help facilitate the attack. Lewandowski is able to play it on the ground in the buildup, or he can go a little more direct and offer an aerial option.

That versatility would have been a huge boost for Chelsea, who have a nice variety of forwards. Lewandowski would have had no trouble playing off of Romelu Lukaku, Demba Ba, Andre Schuerrle or Fernando Torres.

It's a bit surprising that Chelsea didn't make more of a play for the Polish forward.

He's two years younger than Rooney and wouldn't command as much of the wage budget as the Manchester United star. He's much more of a long-term option than Samuel Eto'o as well.

The Blues made a calculated risk when they decided to go all-in for Rooney. It was either they land him or there isn't another big-name striker coming into Stamford Bridge.

Perhaps Chelsea should have made Lewandowski their top target after all.