Romelu Lukaku is the “ideal” replacement for Robert Lewandowski, says Lothar Matthaus

Former Bayern Munich midfielder Lothar Matthaus believes Romelu Lukaku is the “only and ideal alternative” for Bayern Munich if Robert Lewandowski leaves the club this summer.
Bayern’s prolific Polish marksman looks set to depart Bavaria in the coming months, if not weeks after he declared his intention to leave the club and seek a new challenge, with Barcelona thought to be the front-runners for his signature.
Lukaku, likewise, looks destined to be wearing the colours of a new club for 2022/23, with Inter Milan hotly-tipped to re-sign a man they only just parted with last summer, though financial stumbling blocks are reportedly hindering the possibility of that deal going through.
Bayern Munich summer transfer odds 22/23: To sign for before 3rd September | Sky Bet | ||
Harry Kane | 10/1 | ||
Cristiano Ronaldo | 20/1 | ||
Alvaro Morata | 33/1 | ||
Neymar | 33/1 | ||
Frenkie de Jong | 33/1 |
You have to be 18+ to gamble. UK only. All odds within this article are accurate at the time of writing (14:00, 19/08/2022). Be Gamble Aware.
Sky Bet New Customer Offer: Bet £5, get £20 in free bets
- Open a new Sky Bet account using this link
- Once registered, deposit and place a qualifying bet of up to £5
- Receive £20 in free bets, credited as 4 x £5 free bets
If he does leave Stamford Bridge, following a difficult return to west London in which he struggled to find a stable and recognisable home in Thomas Tuchel’s wing-back system, then Matthaus believes his services would be best suited in the Bundesliga.
Despite failing to net double-digit goals in the league last season, the Bayern legend thinks Lukaku has all the credentials to alleviate Lewandowski’s seemingly inevitable void at the Allianz Arena.
“I still see Lukaku as the only and ideal alternative,” Matthaus wrote in his Sky Sport Germany column.
“[It’s that] or Nagelsmann does [a] Guardiola, and Bayern play with three attackers, but without a striker.
Chelsea transfer odds: To sign for 3rd February
Chelsea winter transfer odds 22/23: To sign for before 3rd February | Unibet | ||
Moises Caicedo | 7/4 | ||
Denzel Dumfries | 7/1 | ||
Declan Rice | 8/1 | ||
Alexis Mac Allister | 1/25 | ||
Goncalo Ramos | 7/1 |
You have to be 18+ to gamble. UK only. All odds within this article are accurate at the time of writing (12:30, 17/01/2023). Be Gamble Aware.
Don't have a Unibet account already? Following any of the odds links above should take to you to a landing page matching the image below. To sign up and place a wager on Chelsea's transfer business, simply follow the following steps:
- Sign up to Unibet using THIS LINK
- Deposit a minimum of £10
- Meet the terms and conditions when placing your bet, and if it loses you could get up to £40 back as bonus bets.
18+ begambleaware.org. New customers only. Min deposit £10. Money back as bonus if first sports bet loses. Wagering requirements: sportsbook 3x at min. odds of 1.40 (2/5), casino 50x. Unless forfeited the sportsbook bonus must be wagered before using the casino bonus. Bonus expires 7 days after opt-in. Visit Unibet.co.uk for full T&C's.
“You would then also break new ground here and deviate from the Bayern system, because basically there was always a real nine at Bayern: Gerd Muller, [Giovane] Elber, [Claudio] Pizarro, [Miroslav] Klose, [Mario] Gomez, Lewandowski and many more.
“I still hope that Robert stays, and then Bayern would be able to really attack the Champions League with this offensive.”
Is Lukaku the “ideal” Lewandowski replacement?
Lukaku appears a curious replacement for Lewandowski if Bayern were to be in the market for a clinical finisher of unnerving composure, which they obviously will be. The Belgian struggled in the final third for Chelsea last term, though that may be down to Tuchel’s system rather than the player himself.
At Inter, in which Lukaku bagged 64 goals in 95 games, he was afforded plenty of support, not least from partner in crime Lautaro Martinez. The duo were perfectly in sync and linked up to devastating effect. At Chelsea, he often cut an isolated figure up front as Tuchel’s side struggled to get the ball to him.
That’s certainly reflected in his player radar from last campaign, which compares his key attributes with other forwards in Europe’s top leagues. In almost every important statistic, Lukaku’s output pales in comparison to Lewandowski’, apart from his aerial duels won, which won’t be the key trait Julian Nagelsmann is after in a post-Robert world.
His form from Inter would suggest Lukaku can reach high-scoring numbers, but Nagelsmann would have to do what his compatriot in west London failed to do last season: build a system around Lukaku, and not the other way around.
READ MORE:
- Not signed up to Kwiff yet? You could earn a £20 'surprise' bet by following THIS LINK (18+ only, Ts&Cs apply)
- Live stream today's football
- Football accumulator tips