Former Manchester United transfer target Robert Lewandowski is unimpressed with the state of the transfer market.
Sir Alex Ferguson famously tried to sign Robert Lewandowski in 2012, with the striker even agreeing to the transfer. Borussia Dortmund blocked the move and it fell through.
United went on to sign Robin van Persie, the perfect move for the following 2012/13 title-winning season, but over the next decade, Polish striker Lewandowski proved to be the one that got away.
Lewandowski is still leading the line for Barcelona in 2025 at the age of 37, after spending his peak years at Bayern Munich.
To sign Lewandowski from Bayern would have cost a fortune at his peak. But it is clear that he would have been worth every penny.
Lewandowski unimpressed with current striker market
Robert Lewandowski has expressed amazement at the prices being paid for strikers in the transfer market over the past few years.
Lewandowski made specific references to English clubs, and it is hard to say that his comments don’t in some way refer to Manchester United’s transfers.
He said: “In the Premier League, they pay a lot. You see players bought for huge sums without even having one strong season. A young player scores ten goals in six months and suddenly a club spends 60 or 70 million.”
“Before, you had to achieve something first. Now, you never know if the price they pay truly reflects the quality they are getting.”
Manchester United did what Robert Lewandowski claimed, twice
Twice in the past three years, Manchester United have spent between £60-70 million on unproven strikers.
In 2023, Manchester United spent £64 million to sign Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta, after he had spent just one season in Serie A.
Hojlund was signed by Atalanta from Sturm Graz in August 2022. He scored nine Serie A goals, with Manchester United then deciding to shell out to purchase the 20-year-old the following summer.
Lewandowski’s comments could be applied here, Hojlund had achieved nothing at club level, and the fee was a projection based on his future potential, plusthe fact he had already made his international debut for Denmark.
Hojlund was a predictably raw talent, who blew hot and cold at Manchester United, and ultimately was unable to convince Ruben Amorim he should lead the line.
United loaned Hojlund out to Napoli this summer after spending £66 million on Benjamin Sesko, another striker whose value is based more out of projection than current achievement.
At 22, Sesko was two years older than Hojlund when he moved to Old Trafford. But even last season in the Bundesliga, he only scored 13 goals.
Lewandowski scored 41 goals in the Bundesliga in 2020/21, and more than 30 goals on four separate occasions. Another season he scored 29.
It is little wonder that the Pole looks at the prices being paid for Hojlund and Sesko with bemusement, and some at other clubs too, like Newcastle’s Nico Woltemade another expensive unproven forward moving to the Premier League.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
