3 Possible Replacements Should Bayern Munich Sell Robert Lewandowski
Even though Bayern Munich have dominated the Bundesliga and emerged as the most likely challengers to holders Barcelona for the Champions League, things haven’t been entirely rosy for the German giants this term.
In November, Sport Bild’s Christian Falk (h/t ESPN’s Stephan Uersfeld) reported a falling out between star players Arjen Robben and Robert Lewandowski, claiming the two generally avoid each other. The latter refused to comment, but the former responded to claims his teammate complained about his unwillingness to pass during a recent 4-0 win against Stuttgart by stating: “There were a few situations in the first half where he could have passed the ball too.”
It’s unclear as to how significant the rift between Robben and Lewandowski truly is, but things can change very quickly in football, so Bayern will surely be considering all their options.
The good news is if they have to sell Lewandowski, the German giants can expect to have some highly qualified options as possible replacements.
Click “Begin Slideshow” to see B/R’s top picks.
Sergio Aguero
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Many football fans regard Sergio Aguero as the best center forward in today’s game. However, the Argentina international has never even come close to winning the Champions League, and his Manchester City look closer to a period of transition than one in which they will seriously contend for the honor of Europe’s best club.
Accordingly, Aguero could be tempted to pursue a move. There are other top clubs, namely Real Madrid, that could use a player of his skill set. But Bayern have every chance of landing him provided they offer a competitive wage and high transfer fee—Transfermarkt values the 27-year-old at £42 million.
Pep Guardiola would likely be a big selling point for Aguero, a small striker who will be well aware of the former Barcelona coach’s success in turning the diminutive Lionel Messi into the world’s best player while occupying a central position.
In terms of skill set, Aguero would be perfect for the Bayern team. He has tremendous pace to keep speed with the likes of Robben, Douglas Costa and Kingsley Coman, and he can play well with the ball at his feet both in terms of dribbling and passing. He also is an exceptional finisher with both feet and has the instincts of a poacher. In a Bayern team that looks to transition quickly from defense into attack, Aguero is the optimal center forward; in today’s game, only perhaps Luis Suarez has a similar skill set.
The price tag will be a significant negative to Bayern if they are to pursue Aguero, as other clubs will surely make moves to sign him, and the player has a contract with Manchester City that runs until 2019. As well, he is rather injury prone, a reality that has contributed to him only having surpassed the 30-goal mark for the first time last season. Still, Bayern took a risk on an injury-prone Robben in 2009 and it paid great dividends.
And if they want Aguero, they could afford him.
Karim Benzema
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Karim Benzema is at a rather difficult point in his career, with a blackmail scandal providing ample off-pitch distractions. A muscular strain that kept him out of action for about a month between October and November didn’t help, either. And despite his being under contract until 2019, depending on how things go from now until season’s end, Real Madrid may look to sell him.
He would at the very least seem to be a more attainable target than Aguero.
Despite all the baggage he could bring, Benzema is nonetheless a magnificent striker who is arguably underrated. He has excellent control of the ball and is a marvelous finisher. The 27-year-old won’t blow away opponents with pace or dribble through defenses, but has a certain Miroslav Klose-like quality in terms of his understanding of his skills and limitations and how to make a telling impression when it matters.
Benzema would fit in well at Bayern, where Kingsley Coman, Franck Ribery and Mehdi Benatia all speak French, and he would be a good fit tactically in Pep Guardiola’s system given that he understands how to run the channels and work with world-class wingers.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
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Finally, Bayern could go for the traditional route of looking within the Bundesliga to find new recruits. And as it happens, the German top flight contains one of Europe’s most prolific center forwards in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The Borussia Dortmund man is much faster than even Aguero and has an advantage in that he has greater strength and is a more formidable opponent in terms of both his hold-up play and in contesting for crosses in the penalty area. If Bayern find that they need to resort to Plan B and whip free kicks and crosses into the penalty box, Aubameyang is a better target than both Benzema and Aguero. And although he used to be more wasteful with his opportunities, the 26-year-old has developed into quite a reliable finisher.
On the other hand, Aubameyang is no better with the ball at his feet than Benzema and less of a dynamic player in transition than Aguero. In terms of synergy in build-up play, the Gabon international no Mario Gomez but is a step below the aforementioned candidates.
As with Aguero, Bayern may find it expensive to pursue Aubameyang, who will undoubtedly have other suitors around Europe at season’s end. He’s under contract until 2020, and BVB would be reluctant to sell for anything other than an astronomical price. But money talks, and if Bayern want a player, they rarely fail to sign him.
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