Chelsea have reportedly joined the race to sign Bayern Munich centre-forward Robert Lewandowski during this summer's transfer window.
The Blues are currently in negotiations with Inter Milan over Romelu Lukaku, who is widely expected to re-join the Italian giants on loan for the 2022-23 campaign.
As a result, Thomas Tuchel's side are likely to enter the market for another forward this summer, and according to Bild, Lewandowski has emerged as a target due to his situation at Bayern.
The report claims that Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain remain interested in the Poland international, while Manchester United are also believed to be considering making a summer move.
The 33-year-old has made it clear that he wants to leave Bayern in the current market, although the striker still has more than 12 months left to run on his contract at Allianz Arena.
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"My era at Bayern is over. I don't see any possibility to continue playing for this club anymore. Bayern's a serious club and I believe they won't keep me, I don't want to play there anymore. A transfer is the best solution. I hope they don't stop me," Lewandowski recently told reporters.
Barcelona are still believed to be the favourites for the centre-forward, although the Catalan outfit's financial problems could prevent them from signing him this summer.
PSG, meanwhile, have committed to a large contract to keep Kylian Mbappe at the club, and Man United continue to prioritise the signing of a new midfielder, namely Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Lewandowski has his heart set on a move to Barcelona and has already agreed a three-year contract with the Catalan giants worth £175,000 a week.
However, Bayern continue to insist that the striker will not leave, with their sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic recently claiming that talk surrounding Lewandowski "should all calm down".
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"He has a contract until 2023 and we're very happy that he's here. I think things will get calmer now. We discussed about his public statements and that we should all calm down," Salihamidzic told journalist Christian Falk.
Lewandowski was again in strong form for Bayern during the 2021-22 campaign, scoring 50 goals and registering seven assists in 46 appearances in all competitions.
Meanwhile, he has scored 344 goals and registered 72 assists in 374 appearances for the Munich giants in all competitions, but his relationship with the Bundesliga giants has now broken down.
Lukaku's exit would leave Timo Werner as the only recognised central forward in the Chelsea squad, although the Germany international has played a lot of football for the Blues in a wide position.
Kai Havertz was used as a striker by Tuchel on a number of occasions last term, but a departure for Lukaku would almost certainly see Chelsea enter the market for a replacement.
Matt Law
