Daily Schmankerl: Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski to take €9 million/season salary for FC Barcelona move?; Tottenham, Arsenal also eyeing Lewy; Barca to sell Frenkie de Jong to fund Lewy move?; Filip Kostic to stay with Eintracht Frankfurt?; and MORE!

Barca to offer Lewy a €9 million per season salary? (Barca Universal)

How badly does Robert Lewandowski want to leave Bayern Munich for FC Barcelona? Perhaps bad enough to take a massive pay cut:

Barcelona seem to be edging closer and closer to the capture of Bayern Munich superstar Robert Lewandowski in the upcoming transfer window.

And, there now seems to be a fresh development in the transfer saga, as Diario AS reports that Lewandowski and Barcelona have reached an agreement over a contract for the 33-year-old hitman.

As per the update, Barça will be offering the Poland captain a three-year deal worth €9 million per year.

Earlier this week, Lewandowski’s agent, Pini Zahavi, was in Barcelona and purchased ten shirts from the club’s official store with the center-forward’s name printed. AS adds to that claim, stating that Zahavi even looked for houses for the 33-year-old.

From roughly €25 million per season (roughly €13 million to €15 million net) to €9 million (net) per season is a massive drop-off at this stage of his career. If true, it makes me wonder if Barca would re-apply some funds directly to a bigger transfer fee proposal.

Gunners, Spurs involved in Lewy sweepstakes? (90min.com)

Arsenal FC and Tottenham Hotspur join Manchester United and Chelsea FC as Premier League clubs, who could be on Robert Lewandowski’s list for a potential move:

With Barcelona’s tricky financial situation potentially scuppering a move to Camp Nou, Zahavi has been exploring numerous other potential moves and sources have confirmed that the Israeli agent has been speaking to several Premier League sides.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham have all been advised about Lewandowski’s situation, but as it stands, none have taken the matter any further, with all four sides still building their plans for the summer transfer window.

It is still doubtful that Lewandowski wants to move to England. It seems like Pini Zahavi is doing some leg work to drum up more interest (and a high fee).

Barca to sell De Jong to fund Lewy move? (Sports Mole)

FC Barcelona could be kicking around a sale of Frenkie de Jong to help fund an acquisition of Robert Lewandowski. Manchester City and Manchester United appear to be the most likely destinations for the Dutchman:

Barcelona are reportedly open to selling Frenkie de Jong during this summer’s transfer window, as the Catalan giants look to raise funds to move for Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski. Manchester United and Manchester City continue to be linked with De Jong, who has been a regular for his La Liga side this term, making 46 appearances in all competitions, contributing four goals and five assists.

Barcelona boss Xavi and club president Joan Laporta have both recently refused to rule out a summer exit for the Netherlands international, with the club still dealing with financial issues. “We will do what is best for the club. If the economic levers that we want to activate come off, no player will leave for economic reasons,” Laporta told Catalunya Radio.

Meanwhile, Xavi said last weekend: “He’s an important player for me, and he started every game except for a few due to rotations. But it depends on the economic situation. For me, Frenkie could be one of the club legends.”

A recent report claimed that Barcelona would be prepared to sell the Dutchman for a fee in the region of £50m, with incoming Man United head coach Erik ten Hag pushing to sign the player that he had at Ajax.

According to German journalist Florian Plettenberg, De Jong to Old Trafford could be ‘one of the biggest transfers’ of the summer. Plettenberg claims that Xavi is fighting to keep hold of the Dutchman, but Barcelona need to sell to raise funds to move for Lewandowski, which could lead to De Jong being allowed to leave in the upcoming market.

Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 1, Episode 50 (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich’s offseason got off to a rousing start.

Robert Lewandowski wants to leave the club for FC Barcelona. Sporting director Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidzic has suddenly found his position within the organization in some jeopardy (if you believe certain reports). Bayern Munich was linked to serial underachiever Ousmane Dembele — and about a dozen other options who can play one forward role or another.

We had a poor finish to the campaign, some contract drama, typical FC Hollywood storylines, and an early start to silly season form a “WTF Voltron” to get us going and it is not even June yet.

Yup, it has been crazy. This is what we have on tap for this episode:

• Chuck and Jake talk through Robert Lewandowski’s situation, what might happen, and the huge hole he would leave in the lineup.
• Some options to replace the Polish international.
• Brazzo’s new drama.
• A little praise for Eintracht Frankfurt.
• Why no one wants Ousmane Dembele even if he has some tantalizing ability.

Kostic to stay with Frankfurt? (kicker)

After winning the Europa League, Eintracht Frankfurt is hopeful that it can keep star player Filip Kostic:

Filip Kostic (29) is one of the faces of this successful Frankfurt Europa League season, which culminated in the title against Glasgow Rangers (5:4 penalties) on Wednesday. But what happens next with the Serbs, who are only tied until June 30, 2023? His coach Oliver Glasner says: “He still has a year’s contract. We spoke on the field, but I won’t tell you what.” Only so much: “I think that was not his last game.”

Tillman to the USA? (kicker via Bundesliga.com)

Bayern Munich attacking midfielder Malik Tillman has switched his international allegiance from Germany to the United States — and has already been called up to the USMNT:

Bayern Munich’s Germany U21 international Malik Tillman has switched his international allegiance to the USA, the country of his father’s birth.

Born in Nuremberg to a German mother and American father, Tillman joined Bayern’s youth academy from Greuther Fürth at the age of 13 in 2005, at the same time as elder brother Timothy.

The attacking midfielder subsequently turned out for the USA at U15 level but has represented Germany at every age group up to U21 since, scoring five times in 19 youth caps.

But now he has pledged his international future to the United States, with the hope of turning out for the USMNT at the United 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“We regret Malik’s decision - it surprised us a lot,” Germany U21 coach Antonio Di Salvo told Kicker. “We promoted him as a young player in the U21s, we placed a lot of trust in him and gave him match practice. In addition, we were in intensive talks regarding his prospects in the senior national team.”

ICYMI: Hoeneß ousted at Hoffenheim (@tsghoffenheimEN)

After a promising start to the season, Sebastian Hoeneß was ousted at Hoffenheim:

Hoeneß issued a brief statement on the sacking as well:

Lewy’s old agent hit with blackmail charges (TSN)

Just days after telling the world that Robert Lewandowski really wanted to leave Bayern Munich, his former agent, Cezary Kucharski, was the subject of blackmail charges:

Prosecutors in Poland have filed blackmailing charges against the former manager of Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski. Cezary Kucharski publicly accused the Poland national team captain and his wife of tax irregularities in Germany and threatened to reveal the details if they didn’t pay 20 million euros ($21.1 million).

Kucharski could face up to three years in prison if convicted. Kucharski, a former Poland national team soccer player, was hospitalized earlier this year in Spain and put into an induced coma. He is now recovering in Spain.