Barcelona boss Xavi lauds 'great' Lewandowski; remains mum on potential transfer

This week, Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn poured cold water on the suggestions that Robert Lewandowski would be leaving the club as he comes closer to entering the final 12 months of his contract.

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Amidst growing speculations over Robert Lewandowski's possible move to Camp Nou, Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez has refused to discuss the Bayern Munich striker's future. However, the Spaniard lauded the Poland international, calling him 'great', adding more fuel to the transfer fire.

The 33-year-old iconic striker has reportedly informed Bayern Munich that he 'won't sign a new deal' when his contract at Die Roten expires in a little over 12 months. Lewandowski was on target in Bayern's Champions League quarter-final against Villarreal, but the strike was insufficient to save the Bundesliga giants from a shock elimination.

Ahead of Barcelona's Europa League second-leg clash against Eintracht Frankfurt, Xavi Hernandez responded when asked directly about the possibility of a future move for Lewandowski at a press conference. "This is not the time. He is a great player, but we have to focus on tomorrow's game. I understand the question, but this is not the right time to discuss potential targets," the Spaniard said.

Earlier this week, Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn squashed all reports that the Polish star is set to move to Camp Nou this summer. Kahn said Lewandowski will "definitely" be with the Bavarian organisation in 2022-23 and added that it would be crazy to think otherwise.

"We definitely have Robert with us for another season. We know what we have in him, and we're relaxed about it. Apparently, there's a competition out there: 'Who will tell the biggest nonsense story about Robert Lewandowski? Talks will continue. We're not crazy and are [not] discussing the transfer of a player who scores between 30 and 40 goals with us every season," Kahn told Amazon Prime.

The Polish star is enjoying another standout season at Bayern Munich, surpassing 30 league goals for the third straight campaign. Lewandowski has shown little signs of slowing down after being controversially snubbed for the 2021 Ballon d'Or. He's scored 47 goals in all competitions and delivered four assists as Bayern Munich has taken a commanding lead in the Bundesliga title race.

Earlier, a report stated Barcelona had meetings with Lewandowski's agent, Pini Zahavi, to discuss the contractual details for the 33-year-old striker's move to Camp Nou. According to El Chiringuito's Jose Alvarez, Barcelona is ready to hand Lewandowski a three-year contract worth 8 million euros as net salary, plus bonuses.