Robert Lewandowski tops Chelsea’s summer transfer window shortlist — report

Outside of Didier Drogba in summer 2004, Chelsea have not had much success with breaking their bank for strikers. Despite the tough times experienced by the failed spells of Andriy Shevchenko and Fernando Torres in the past, all while Álvaro Morata struggles to impress in his debut season at the Bridge in current times, it seems that we have not learned our lesson.

According to the Telegraph, Chelsea have marked Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski as their primary target for the upcoming summer transfer window, even though the transfer may cost more than £100 million out of our pockets.

Lewandowski is undoubtedly an amazing striker, having scored 254 goals in 382 matches for Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich ever since transferring from his home country Poland to Germany back in 2010. He has also been massive for the Polish national team, leading the side for what was once seen as an unlikely 2018 World Cup qualification, where he only failed to score once, in a 4-0 to Andreas Christensen’s Denmark.

However, he will be 30 in August and it is quite unlikely that his wage demands will be in any way “comprehensible”. Plus, his acquisition would reportedly be partially funded by the sale of Morata only one year after his arrival.

Thankfully, Bayern may prove to be our salvation. Lewandowski’s current contract only runs out in 2021 and they have the financial muscle to brush-off interest from clubs such as Chelsea.

Still, the question arises: where would such an idea come from? Most likely it comes from Roman Abramovich, as it was reportedly the case back when we moved for Torres. But it could be someone else, such as the agents that frequent our corridors — which includes Pini Zahavi, one of Lewa’s representative and a key figure in Roman’s Chelsea purchase — enjoying the lack of a football director and a footballing plan to advance their own causes within our ranks.

There is also the angle that acquiring Lewandowski would be a way to show Belgian stars Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois that we can meet their ambitions. But spending £100 million on a nearly 30-year-old striker is not a show of ambition. It is rather a demonstration of sheer stupidity.

Do not stoop that low, Chelsea.