Lewandowski Replacement Or Negotiation Asset?

Another day another Robert Lewandowski rumor. While Bayern Munich and the star striker have started negotiations for a new contract, in Ajax Amsterdam’s Sébastien Haller, another Lewandowski replacement, has joined the list at the Rekordmeister.

Haller is no stranger to the Bundesliga. Between 2017 and 2019, the 27-year-old Cote d’Ivoire national team forward scored 33 goals and 19 assists in 77 games across all competitions for Eintracht Frankfurt.

Frankfurt sold Haller to West Ham United for $55 million in the summer of 2019. The Premier
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League side, however, struggled to meet the payment schedule that they had negotiated with Frankfurt, and the striker was sold to Ajax for just $24.75 million in January 2021.

Although Haller’s time at Ajax started with some difficulties—Ajax failed to register the Ivorian for the Europa League—the tall forward has been a significant success for the Dutch record champions. Haller has scored 33 goals in 39 games for Ajax this year—11 in eight Champions League games.

Haller’s goalscoring record has made him an interesting target for several clubs. Borussia Dortmund sees Haller as a possible Haaland replacement, and Manchester United has also kept a close eye on the situation.

Bayern Munich is now the latest club linked to the forward. There is some history, however. The Rekordmeister was also among the clubs interested back in 2019, the last time Lewandowski was toying with a possible exit from Munich. Ultimately, Lewandowski stayed, and Haller moved on to England.

Three years on, the two are linked once again. There is, of course, a significant chance that the Bayern camp uses Haller as a ploy to force the Lewandowski camp to accept their terms. But signing Haller would also make sense for the Rekordmeister.

The decision-makers at the Säbener Straße are very much aware that there will be a time in which they have to replace the 33-year-old Polish forward. Haller is six years younger, affordable, knows the Bundesliga, and could be one of three players from Ajax to join this upcoming summer as Ryan Gravenberch and Noussair Mazraoui have reportedly already agreed terms with Bayern.

Furthermore, signing Haller could also be a big picture transfer that could be a move away for Bayern to rely on a single forward. Both at Eintracht Frankfurt and now at Ajax, Haller was very much a system striker, a big tall forward who is also mobile and works well in a highly mobile attack with many moving parts.

Haller’s time at Frankfurt could be a blueprint for the Rekordmeister’s new orientation in the attack. Playing for the Eagles, Haller was part of a three-man attack that also included Ante Rebić and Luka Jović. Nicknamed the Büffelherde (buffalo herd), the three revamped Frankfurt’s playing style towards a powerful counter-attacking style. Then at Ajax, Haller added a more patient approach to his game, showing that he also works in a possession-based system.

While the tactical flexibility makes Haller, a perfect player for Bayern head coach Julian Nagelsmann, his salary demands and possible transfer fee—around $45 million—make him an ideal player for sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic and CEO Oliver Kahn. The board also likes Haller for another reason, as a possible threat to Lewandowski and his agent Pini Zahavi.

Manuel Veth is the host of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth