Barcelona feel “flattered” that Robert Lewandowski is so keen on making a move to Camp Nou, says club president Joan Laporta, but no deal has been done as yet and the Liga giants are reluctant to be dragged into a transfer debate.
The Blaugrana have made no secret of their interest in a prolific Polish striker that is looking for a way out of Bayern Munich, with a 33-year-old frontman making it clear that his preference would be to head for Catalunya this summer.
Bundesliga champions are, however, understandably reluctant to part with a legendary goalscorer – especially as he remains under contract with them for another 12 months – and negotiations regarding a switch elsewhere are proving difficult.
Will Lewandowski leave Bayern for Barcelona?
GOAL learned back in March that Lewandowski had emerged as a target for Barcelona, with serious questions being asked of his future at the Allianz Arena.
No agreement was put in place back then, though, and that remains the case with another window now open.
Barca are not about to give up on their efforts to seal an eye-catching transfer, with the player eager to join their ranks, but Laporta is giving little away when it comes to possible deadlines for a deal to be done.
He has told reporters when asked for an update on a long-running saga: “Lewandowski is a Bayern player and I prefer to remain reserved on this.
“We thank him for wanting to come to Barcelona and we are very flattered.”
Who else are Barcelona interested in?
While waiting on answers in their pursuit of Lewandowski, Barca are also hoping that a protracted pursuit of Leeds winger Raphinha will reach a positive conclusion.
The Brazil international has also been linked with Arsenal and Chelsea, but he is another that has his heart set on heading to Spain.
Laporta added on interest there: “We have spoken to Leeds and I don't think they will be offended. We have communication.
“What happens is that there are other clubs who want Raphinha and they are making their proposals.”
Could Dembele stay at Camp Nou?
Barca are in the market for attacking reinforcement as Ousmane Dembele has now reached the end of his contract.
The World Cup-winning France international is technically a free agent, but Laporta is still not ruling out the possibility of fresh terms being thrashed out with the 25-year-old forward.
He said of a player that has snubbed several renewal offers: “If he accepts our financial offer, he will stay.
“We haven't set time limits for anything.”