Matthias Schrader/Associated Press
The German press has rubbished reports Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski has already agreed to a deal with Real Madrid, stating the Bavarians have no intention of selling their star striker.
Per Kicker (via EFE, for AS), the Bundesliga giants won't even entertain an offer below €100 million, and there are no plans to let the Poland international walk before his contract expires in 2021.
Merkur (via AS) went one step further, reporting Real President Florentino Perez has contacted Bayern to ensure them no talks have taken place between Los Blancos and Lewandowski's agent, Pini Zahavi.
Those reports arrived just days after Spanish daily Mundo Deportivo dropped a bombshell:
Kicker also added Manchester United to the group of interested clubs, but unless the €100 million valuation is met, Lewandowski won't go anywhere.
The 29-year-old has been linked with Real for years, with new rumours popping up every few months. United are also frequently mentioned as suitors, but every time, Bayern make it clear they do not want to sell their record non-German goalscorer.
Lewandowski has been the club's lead attacker since joining from Borussia Dortmund, and is once again enjoying a fine campaign:
His remarkable consistency―he's scored fewer than 20 Bundesliga goals in a season just once since the 2011-12 campaign―makes him an ideal transfer target for just about any club looking for a veteran, experienced striker who likely won't need too much time to adapt to his new surroundings.
Real have been reliant on Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema for several years, and the latter has lost his shooting boots of late. The Frenchman only bagged 11 goals in La Liga last year and is currently on pace to finish with even fewer.
Matthias Schrader/Associated Press
But Bayern are no pushovers in the transfer market, and they are not in the habit of selling their top players. Lewandowski is too valuable a scorer to just give up on, and the German club do not have a prospect or replacement waiting in the wings.
The player himself could force the issue by holding out until a transfer is granted, but he hasn't done so in the past few years. Bayern hold all the cards and will likely only sell on their terms, whether that's this summer or some other time.