By Martin Graham
Robert Lewandowski has revealed he once agreed to join Manchester United, only for the transfer to be blocked by Borussia Dortmund. The Poland striker said the offer came in 2012, two years after a volcanic eruption in Iceland prevented him from completing a move to Blackburn Rovers.
“At that time, I told them yes because I wanted to meet Sir Alex Ferguson,” Lewandowski told. Dortmund, however, refused to sell their top scorer, believing it made more financial sense to keep him.
The forward has since enjoyed success at Bayern Munich and now at Barcelona, where he has won two La Liga titles. At 37, he accepts that playing in the Premier League is unlikely but insists he is content with his choices, saying he has no lasting sense of missing out.
Working with the next generation
Now entering his 22nd professional season, Lewandowski is surrounded by emerging talent at Barcelona, including teenage star Lamine Yamal. Despite being nearly two decades older, he believes younger teammates help him improve.
The striker said he still outpaces the younger players, which fuels his motivation for another strong season. Reflecting on Yamal’s ability, he recalled recognizing the winger’s exceptional skill within less than an hour of training with him at age 15.
Lewandowski added that his relationship with young players is based on mutual learning, with each side offering something to the other.
Near miss for the Ballon d’Or
Lewandowski came close to football’s top individual honor in 2020, when the Ballon d’Or was cancelled during the pandemic. The following year he finished second to Lionel Messi and collected the striker of the year award after breaking the Bundesliga single-season scoring record with 41 goals.
He still does not understand why he missed out on the main trophy during that peak period. Asked about potential winners this year, he named Yamal and teammate Raphinha as possible contenders, noting that the young winger still has many chances ahead.
The talk that transformed his career
Looking back, Lewandowski credits Jurgen Klopp, his former Borussia Dortmund coach, with having the most profound effect on him. Having lost his father at 16, he said he was reserved and rarely spoke about his feelings.
During his time at Dortmund, a conversation with Klopp allowed him to open up emotionally. Lewandowski said the exchange brought him a sense of freedom and sparked an improvement in his performances.
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