Robert Lewandowski's former agent has claimed the striker decided to leave Bayern Munich and join Barcelona in order to prove he is better than Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema.
The Poland international’s move to the Camp Nou was confirmed on Saturday with the striker departing Bayern in a deal which El Pais reported has a total value of €60million (£51m). Bayern were reported to have been ecstatic with the fee they managed to attract for a player on the verge of celebrating his 34th birthday and who was into the final year of his contract.
Benzema played a critical role in Madrid’s 35th La Liga title last season and stunned Europe with his performances as Los Blancos won the Champions League final. Benzema scored in each leg of the semi-final win over Manchester City after his quick-fire hat-trick downed Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16. He bagged another treble against Chelsea in the quarter-finals and netted the winner in extra-time of the return leg.
Benzema bagged a remarkable 44 goals in 46 appearances in all competitions – a tally that comfortably surpassed his previous best of 32 strikes for a season back in 2011-12 – while Lewandowski netted a staggering 344 goals across eight campaigns at Bayern.
Lewandowski is eight months younger than Benzema and the two have established themselves as the most in-form forwards in the world over the past few years. Having so long been beaten to the top awards by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the striking duo are now established at the very pinnacle of football.
Lewandowski’s former agent Cezary Kucharski told Spanish radio show El Larguero on Cadena Ser over the transfer: “Everyone knows that Barcelona's economic situation is not perfect. Lewandowski has always wanted to go to Spain and that is why he fought with Bayern in order to join Barca. Lewandowski wants to show in Spain that he is better than Benzema.”
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Kucharski added that he believed the striker would fulfil his contract at the Camp Nou: “I don't think he will leave before the end of his contract. Afterwards maybe he will move to the United States, but I think he is going to spend these three years in Barcelona.”
Speaking to the Barcelona club media, Lewandowski said of the transfer: “I’m here to help the club return to the top and win as many titles as possible. I have always wanted to play in a great La Liga club and this is a great opportunity for me. It is also a challenge for my private life. I am a player who always wants to win. We have great players, with a lot of quality, in the squad. I am excited about what we can all achieve together.”
He also hailed the impact of Barcelona boss Xavi in his decision to join the club: “I saw that his ideas fit mine. It has been easy to make the decision. I want to play and win titles and I know that with Xavi this will be very possible. He knows perfectly well how to lead Barca. He was an incredible player and now he is a great coach. He has a lot of future and I want to be part of it.”
