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Robert Lewandowski has again said he does not want to end his career with Bayern Munich.
Lewandowski signed for Bayern on a free transfer from Borussia Dortmund, where he played for four seasons under Jurgen Klopp, in 2014.
“I am now 29 years old and think that I can still play for many years yet if I don’t get injured,” Lewandowski told Players Tribune.
“We will see. I know that I have been in Germany for eight years and I remember saying a few years ago that I will not stay my whole career in one league, that’s for sure.”
Earlier this month, agent Pini Zahavi said Lewandowski was seeking “a new challenge” as he enters the final years of his career.
Kicker suggest that Karim Benzema had been offered as a makeweight by Real Madrid in deal for Lewandowski, but Bayern have dismissed any notion of a swap, while Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain remain interested in the Bundesliga’s top scorer.
Asked which coach had the biggest influence on his career, Lewandowski said: “I think this would be Pep [Guardiola], because I was speaking with him a lot about what I should do.
“He also asked me a lot what I think about this situation, from my side, because he didn’t play as a striker. Sometimes he says to me: ‘You are the best and are better than me in this position.’
“That’s why he knows what I now think about my situation. I can say that Pep was the trainer that changed my mind about football.”
He added that he had also enjoyed working with Klopp, hailing him as “like a father, like a best friend.”
Asked whether Klopp was “as crazy as he seems,” he said: “Exactly. But I have to say that sometimes I didn’t know what he is doing. I was surprised. Jurgen Klopp, that was you?
“Sometimes coming home, friends asked me if I had seen what Klopp has done. I couldn’t believe it sometimes.
“I know that sometimes he wants to play with us and only wanted to give the best he has. I can understand this and what he wanted to say. Because he is like a father, like a best friend. You can speak with him about whatever you want, you can call him at 5 a.m. — “Hey Jurgen, I have a problem.” — “No problem, I will come to you and we can speak about whatever you want.”
“I am very happy thinking about him as a person who talked to me like a best friend or father.”
Poland captain Lewandowski has already exited the World Cup, failing to score in the defeats to Senegal and Colombia.
Mark Lovell covers Bayern Munich for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter: @LovellLowdown.
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