#SSSB looks at five possible
destinations for Borussia Dortmund's in-demand star
Over recent seasons,
Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund appear to have benefited from a momentous
surge in popularity and gained legions of doting admirers due to their positive
brand of football and sheer likability under the tutelage of popular German
boss Jurgen Klopp.
Frequently locked in an
intriguing battle for domestic supremacy with the might of Bavarian side Bayern
Munich, Klopp's men have also made quite an impact on the European scene. They
reached the Champions League final last season, only to be narrowly beaten by
their rivals.
At the heart of Dortmund's
popularity is striker Robert Lewandowksi. The 25-year-old Polish international has
risen to prominence and enjoyed consistently strong form since joining Die
Schwarzgelben from Lech Poznań during the summer of 2010.
The formidable goalscorer -
who was in action for his nation during their enthralling 2-0 defeat to England
at has been prolific for Dortmund and speculation as
to his future has intensified in recent weeks.
While many had claimed that
Lewandowski had already agreed to join Pep Guardiola's Bayern, the player
himself denied such rumours earlier this week.
Here, #SSSB looks at five
possible destinations for Lewandowski if he were to depart Dortmund -
which it looks increasingly as if he will - and lists them in order of just who
needs him the most.
5. Manchester United
Under iconic figure Sir Alex
Ferguson, United were frequently linked with a move for Lewandowski. The Pole
also claims to have spoken to the former manager last season but insists that a
potential switch was not discussed.
Of all the teams on this list
of potential suitors, United are perhaps the least in need of the prolific
marksman's services. Although the Red Devils have endured a worryingly
inconsistent start to the new domestic campaign under David Moyes, they remain
reasonably well-stocked in the striker department.
With the hugely talented duo
of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie in addition to the promising Danny Welbeck
and Mexican favourite Javier Hernandez, Moyes does not have too many problems
in the striker department.
Rather, the Scot is in dire
need of strengthening his ailing midfield options.
4. Bayern Munich
Despite his recent
protestations, most still appear to remain convinced that Lewandowski's switch
to the Allianz Arena is simply a matter of time.
Although in certain other
leagues it might be considered somewhat bizarre for a player to seamlessly
switch between title rivals, you certainly don't have to look too far into the
past to discover the last high-profile transaction between the two clubs.
During the summer, star
playmaker Mario Gotze made the switch after Bayern successfully triggered his
release clause.
Although it could perhaps be
argued that Bayern lack a world-class focal point up front, do they really need
yet another star player to add to an already stellar cast?
I would suggest not. There is
no doubt that Lewandowski would boost Guardiola's options immeasurably and that
he would surely flourish further in such illustrious company, but they aren't
quite as desperate for such a player as certain other clubs.
3. Real Madrid
While it may feel somewhat
odd to include on this list a club with the financial power to lavish
eye-watering sums of cash on world-class footballers as and when they see fit,
Real Madrid are evidently in need of a striker.
Following the sale of Gonzalo
Higuain to Italian title hopefuls Napoli during the summer, new manager Carlo
Ancelotti was left with only Karim Benzema and Alvaro Morata as recognised
forwards.
While the former might be
highly-regarded by some, he has become fiercely unpopular with Real fans of
late and has become the target of vicious and unrelenting criticism for his rather
lacklustre displays this season.
The Frenchman continues to be
linked with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu, but Real will need to seek
an adequate replacement before letting him go and Lewandowski would certainly
fit the bill.
2. Arsenal
Although it looked to all as
if Arsenal were set for another frustrating and ultimately fruitless campaign
under Arsene Wenger this season, the Gunners have enjoyed a tremendous run of
form of late after reinforcing their midfield with the additions of Mesut Ozil
and Mathieu Flamini and currently sit proudly atop of the Premier League.
While everything appears to
be going swimmingly at the Emirates Stadium at present, it cannot be denied
that they require further strengthening if they are to continue their title
assault. In particular, Wenger desperately needs a new striker to provide
competition to the in-form Olivier Giroud.
With only the perennially
disappointing Dane Nicklas Bendtner and unproven Yaya Sanogo in reserve, if
anything were to happen to Giroud then Arsenal would be in trouble.
Lewandowski would not only
provide more than adequate competition for the Frenchman, he would arguably
replace him in the long-term.
1. Chelsea
It should come as no surprise
to anyone that Jose Mourinho's Chelsea top this particular list. After the
truly bewildering and inexplicable decision to allow Belgian starlet Romelu
Lukaku to join Premier League rivals Everton on a season-long loan deal, the
Portuguese has been unable to rely upon any of the disappointing trio of
Fernando Torres, Demba Ba and new signing Samuel Eto'o.
While Torres still does not
look at all capable of justifying his £50 million price tag, Ba is clearly not
of the desired quality while Cameroonian Eto'o has looked concerning
ineffective since completing a surprise move from troubled Russian top-flight
outfit Anzhi Makhachkala in the summer.
Although the choice to allow
Lukaku to depart makes their current predicament very much their own fault,
Chelsea are desperate for a consistent striker capable of finding the net on a
regular basis. Lewandowski would be welcomed to Stamford Bridge with open arms.
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