Transfer rumors: Chelsea, Manchester United in talks with Robert Lewandowski

Chelsea and Manchester United held preliminary talks with Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski.

Chelsea and Manchester United have been in talks with Bayern Munich’s star center-forward Robert Lewandowski, per Sky Sports sources.

The news comes as something of a surprise given both Lewandowski’s contract situation at Bayern and the other names Chelsea and United have been linked with so far this summer.

Lewandowski is undoubtedly one of the best forwards in the world, and would be a welcome addition at both Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford, but he signed a contract extension with the German champions in 2016 that keeps at the club until 2021.

Bayern will also presumably want to keep him given he scored 43 goals and added 10 assists in all competitions last season. If he were to leave, it would almost certainly be for a huge fee.

Chelsea and United are both in the market for a striker, but they’ve been mostly linked with other, less high-profile names.

The Blues were reportedly hoping to bring Romelu Lukaku back to the club, while Alexis Sanchez has also been linked. The club currently appear to be focused on Juventus wing-back Alex Sandro, but with Diego Costa likely to leave this summer, a new forward will be high on the priority list.

The same goes for Manchester United, who chose not to renew Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s contract. Their preferred target was Antoine Griezmann, but following Atletico Madrid’s transfer ban, the Frenchman is likely to stay in Spain.

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News that Cristiano Ronaldo wants out of Real Madrid also had United on high alert. The Portuguese forward has long expressed his interest in a return to Manchester, and with allegations of tax fraud looming, this summer could be the perfect time to make a switch.

Where all that leaves Lewandowski is unclear, but he would certainly be an excellent signing for either club.