Lewandowski questions Bayern’s transfer policy after defeat
Guardiola says medication concerns kept Mahrez from playing against Liverpool
Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski is calling on the club to make high-profile signings that can have an immediate impact rather than players with potential.
Speaking after Bayern’s 2-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund in the German Supercup on Saturday, Lewandowski rued the lack of a game-changers among Bayern’s substitutes and appeared to question the club’s transfer policy.
“Sure, the young players on the bench have potential, that’s true – but sometimes you need direct reinforcement from someone who can come in and help the team,” Lewandowski said.
In contrast to Dortmund, which has significantly boosted its squad over the summer, Bayern has only signed French defenders Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez, while Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, James Rodriguez, Mats Hummels and Rafinha have all departed the club. German forward Fiete Arp has arrived from Hamburger SV though it is unclear if he will remain with the club or be loaned out for the season.
Lewandowski had already called on Bayern to make more signings while the team was on its summer tour in the United States.
“My opinion remains the same, because today was precisely the right time where we could have looked and seen what could happen if we had such a professional player ready to come on,” the Polish striker said Saturday.
Bayern is reportedly in talks with Manchester City over Germany forward Leroy Sane. Both Kicker magazine and the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper have reported that Sane has agreed to join the club for what would be a Bundesliga-record sum.
Lewandowski alluded to a lack of confidence among his existing teammates.
“We lost the game ourselves,” he said of Dortmund’s win. “We could have won it but we made too many simple mistakes. In the second half, after the first goal, we weren’t 100% convinced that we could come back from the goal. I think that was the same mistake we made last season. Always when we concede a goal, we try to keep playing but it’s not with 100% belief that we can do it, that we can change the game at the end. It doesn’t seem so easy.”
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he left Riyad Mahrez out of the Community Shield win against Liverpool over concerns the player could have breached doping rules as the club lacked full details of medication he used for a sinus issue.
The Algeria intentional only returned to training on Friday after leading his country to victory in the African Cup of Nations final.
Guardiola says “for doping control, today was a risk because the doctors didn’t have it (full details). That’s why he wasn’t in the squad to play some minutes. He could have played some minutes but we could not take a risk because the doctors did not have exactly the medicines.”
City beat Liverpool 5-4 in a penalty shootout on Sunday after the traditional curtain-raiser to the English season ended 1-1 in regulation time.