Robert Lewandowski '100 Percent' Staying at Bayern Munich, Says Club Executive

Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has said star striker Robert Lewandowski "will 100 percent" be playing for the club next season amid rumours of interest from Real Madrid.

The defending champions of Europe have been fervently linked with Lewandowski over the past year, but Rummenigge has told German newspaper Kicker the Pole is set to stay, per ESPN's Mark Lovell:

Lewandowski is widely considered one of, if not the best out-and-out striker in the world, and Spanish daily Marca (h/t MailOnline's Luke Augustus) said the forward has told Bayern he wants to join Real.

Goal's Ronan Murphy went one step further and sourced a report from Spanish radio station Onda Cero, which said personal terms have already been settled between Lewandowski and his suitors:

Rummenigge's firm stance on the matter will be an attempt to ease any concerns at the Allianz Arena that Bayern's leading frontman could be on the verge of ending his four-year stay in Bavaria. The 29-year-old is contracted to the club until June 2021. 

The Poland international has enjoyed a prolific tenure in German football and Bayern in particular. He's scored a total of 142 goals in 184 appearances for Die Roten, including a prolific record of 32 in 37 outings this season.

One could understand why Lewandowski might see a move to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu as a gleaming opportunity. Karim Benzema, 30, has struggled for goals this season, and there's also the matter of potentially earning a more lucrative deal in Madrid.

Xabi Alonso has represented both Real and Bayern during his career, but the former Spain star didn't recommend his old team-mate move to La Liga, per The Independent:

German giants Bayern have a good track record when it comes to retaining their top players in spite of interest from Europe's giants, and Rummenigge has indicated Lewandowski will be no different.

The Bundesliga leaders are on the verge of winning their sixth successive league title—Lewandowski's fourth—and are still on course for a quartet of trophies this term.

They face Sevilla in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League and Bayer Leverkusen in the last four of the DFB-Pokal, having already beaten Borussia Dortmund to clinch the DFL-Supercup back in August.

Goals in abundance and a consistent challenge for major silverware would be enough to keep most players coming back for more, and Rummenigge is certain that will be enough to keep Lewandowski out of his admirers' clutches.