Schick, Werner or Lacazette? Five strikers Bayern could sign if Lewandowski joins Barcelona

FT Desk

• 17 Mar 2022 18:32 GMT
• 4 min read

Barcelona look set to ditch plans to sign Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland after the player’s camp indicated that he would only be interested in a two-year deal, FootballTransfers understands.

As such, that also means the club will turn their attention towards their next transfer target, which happens to be Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski.

READ MORE: Barcelona pull out of Haaland transfer to pursue Lewandowski

The Poland international has a deal which expires in 2023 and reports from Germany have long since suggested that he wishes to test his talents in another league. As such, a move to Barca seems more than likely.

So if Bayern are forced to cash in on their star striker, who could they bring in this summer as a viable replacement?

Patrik Schick - Bayer Leverkusen

If Bayern are serious about signing a legitimate replacement to Lewandowski then they should look no further than Bayer Leverkusen forward Patrik Schick. The Czech Republic international bagged 20 goals and three assists in 20 games for the Bundesliga side prior to picking up an injury in late February and is a very similar player to the Poland striker in terms of his frame, physique and style of play.

Andrea Belotti - Torino

In terms of players that are available for relatively very little this summer, Bayern would struggle to do better than Torino talisman Andrea Belotti. The target man has been nothing short of sensation in Serie A, with a record of 102 goals and 27 assists in 262 league games and should be available for free when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Gabriel Jesus - Manchester City

If Haaland does indeed reject a move to Barcelona or Real Madrid for Manchester City, that will send shockwaves through European football that Bayern may be able to take advantage of. Most notably, with regards to the future of young striker Gabriel Jesus.

While the 24-year-old forward is still highly rated in the Premier League, he’ll unlikely sit around and play second fiddle to Haaland at Man City and with his contract set to expire in 2023, City may be willing to cash in on him this summer rather than lose him for free 12 months later. That’s where Bayenr should strike.

Timo Werner - Chelsea

If Bayern want to go big in replacing Lewandowski then they would do well to consider Chelsea forward Timo Werner this summer. Although the Germany international has struggled at Stamford Bridge, he did manage to bag 95 goals and 40 assists in 159 games for RB Leipzig and is undoubtedly a proven talent when it comes to the Bundesliga.

Whether Thomas Tuchel would be delighted at the thought of losing his compatriot is certainly up for debate, but Werner may be a smart replacement for Lewandowski if Bayern can get a deal over the line.

Alexandre Lacazette - Arsenal

Although it’s clear that Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette wouldn’t be Bayern’s go-to transfer target to replace Lewandowski, he would perhaps be one of the smarter options for the Bavarian giants.

Not only would the French striker be available for free when his Arsenal deal expires this summer, but he’s also more than capable of fitting into Lewandowski’s role as a No.9 and target man. Is Lacazette a viable, long-term option for Bayern? Absolutely not. But he could be a smart stop-gap for the German giants.