Real Madrid will target Robert Lewandowski in the summer if they fail to sign Harry Kane, according to former president Ramon Calderon.
In an interview with The Sun, former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has claimed that Harry Kane is the number one target for the club. But, he also added that Los Blancos will go for Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski should Daniel Levy play hardball in the summer transfer window.
Lewandowski has long been regarded as one of the best strikers in the world, having already been a prolific powerhouse during his four-year stint at Borussia Dortmund before joining Bayern Munich in the summer of 2014. At the Allianz Arena, the player has only gone on to rise in stature at a remarkable rate.
Over the last four years, Lewandowski has been one of the most prolific players in Europe, scoring at a rate similar to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Indeed, that is evident in his record of 39 goals in 43 appearances so far this season, which puts him among the top scorers in Europe.
But, his future at Bayern has been the subject of intense speculation in recent months. Widespread reports have suggested that Lewandowski is open to a move away from the Allianz Arena, especially if Real Madrid come calling in the summer transfer window, with Los Blancos believed to be eager to sign a striker.
Karim Benzema has had a tremendous fall from grace over the last two seasons, with goals hard to come by. With a paltry return of 9 goals in 39 outings across all competitions, it is clear that the Frenchman is not the fearsome striker he once used to be, accentuating the need for Real Madrid to sign a striker, with backup option Borja Mayoral not considered good enough to lead the line regularly.
Real Madrid’s preferred option is Harry Kane, who has been on a tear in the Premier League in recent seasons. But, their pursuit of the Englishman is complicated, with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy notorious for playing hardball in transfer negotiations.
And former Real Madrid president, Ramon Calderon has iterated that the club does have a backup option in mind, with Lewandowski set to be a stopgap solution, should Los Blancos fail to land Kane in the summer.
“The objective for Real Madrid, no doubt, is Kane. If they want a player for the next five or six years they are going to go for Kane but [Tottenham chairman Daniel] Levy is going to ask a fortune for him.”
“As far as I know, Tottenham is not willing to let him go but Bayern also say Lewandowski is not going anywhere. [Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz] Rummenigge has said he can bet that he will be in Bayern next season but we have heard that so many times, and in my experience it is the player who has the final decision of where to go.”
Real Madrid will get to have a close look at Lewandowski over two legs in the UEFA Champions League semi-final tie against Bayern Munich, and we could very well see them make a move for the 29-year-old when the summer transfer window opens in July, although they will also test Tottenham’s resolve with a bid for Kane.
It will surely be interesting to see how things pan out in the coming months. What appears to be certain is that Real Madrid will look to sign a striker in the summer as part of a squad overhaul that could see either Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski make their way to the Bernabeu.
