14. Borussia Dortmund and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski
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It’s been an incredible couple of seasons for Borussia Dortmund star Robert Lewandowski. The striker initially struggled to settle in the Bundesliga after joining from Lech Poznan in his native Poland, scoring just nine goals in his first season, but rose to prominence the following year as his 30 goals helped Jurgen Klopp’s side to the title.
This fine form in front of goal saw him attract strong interest from Manchester United, though they eventually opted to sign Robin van Persie. That summer, Lewandowski scored the opening goal of the tournament for Poland in Euro 2012, and looked the one player who could really make something happen for the host nation.
He has just enjoyed another successful season for Dortmund. The 24-year-old scored 36 goals this time, and although his side missed out on the Bundesliga title, they made it to the final of the Champions League in a thrilling run which included a 4-1 win over Real Madrid, with four quality strikes from Lewandowski himself in perhaps the game of his career. His side were then unfortunate to lose in the final of the competition to Bayern Munich, with the Pole having a stunning volleyed effort disallowed at Wembley due to a questionable foul in the build-up.
Lewandowski’s stock has continued to rise, and he has been linked strongly with moves away again this summer after deciding not to sign a new contract with Dortmund. It is thought that he wants to join the club’s rivals and Champions League final victors Bayern Munich, though his club have blocked a move as they do not want to sell another star player to a rival following the sale of Mario Goetze to the treble-winners.
Manchester United are expected to renew their interest, with Chelsea, Manchester City and Barcelona all keen on him as well, and even with a year left on his current contract he would likely command a fee of around £25million, as he has become one of the most sought-after players in Europe in this summer’s transfer window.
His finishing ability is exceptional, and he would certainly add something to any of these top teams chasing him. It will be interesting to see where he ends up, but he just looks like getting better and better and will surely continue to cement his place as one of the best players in the world.