Basta! That's Spanish for 'enough!', as in Bayern Munich president Oliver Kahn saying during the Bundesliga title celebrations in May, "[Robert Lewandowski] is fulfilling his contract, enough!" He appears to have softened his stance since then, but Bayern still has one bulldog willing to fight to keep their star striker from joining FC Barcelona.
Former President Uli Hoeneß is still on the supervisory board and wields considerable power behind the scenes. According to BILD+, the Lewandowski camp believes Uli is currently putting the brakes on conciliatory overtures:
That is, without a doubt, our Uli. The 70-year-old hasn't lost his fire, and recently delivered a fiery retort to the Catalan club's apparently feeble efforts, telling them to return when they've got real money (also in reference to their suspect financial position).
At Bayern, the sporting side — from the manager to the sporting director — makes decisions on transfer window targets and contract extensions, but they must adhere to financial constraints imposed by the supervisory board. While there may be some internal re-evaluation, Uli's publicly thrown firecracker is a major stumbling block to any potential reconciliation.
The Lewandowski camp is also reportedly perplexed by Bayern's acquisition of Sadio Mané from Liverpool — at a significantly lower fee in order to accommodate the player's wishes — while Lewandowski is denied the same. After eight years of service, they apparently found the club "ungrateful."
Personally, I'm overdue for this... staring contest to be over. Lewandowski should go where he is happy, and both sides can return to appreciating each other for past triumphs. Barça are reportedly spending €75 million on Leeds United's Raphinha, so who knows what will happen, but early clarity has enormous value in my opinion.
But that's just me. Bayern's executives are correct in their assessment that no Lewandowski clone exists. They have every right to hold Lewy to his contract as he does to agitate for a transfer. As Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane discovered last year, the player does not always win. So here we go, still waiting to see how this plays out.
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Franck Kessie, who joined Barcelona on a free transfer from AC Milan, has already made an impression on his new club during pre-season training.
According to Diario Sport, the new signing has impressed the club's coaches in his first few training sessions. "It's a wonderful feeling." "He has surprised us very positively," Xavi's staff says.
Kessie is known for his physical strength, but he has made an impact with the ball at Barcelona. The Ivorian has shown a "good touch" and technical ability in the team's famous training ground rondos.
The 27-year-old could make his Barcelona debut soon. The Catalans have a
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