Robert Lewandowski’s goals this season could earn Borussia Dortmund more than 25 million euros according to WAZ -- the speculated fee Bayern Munich offered to pay for the forward last summer.#INSERT
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caption:Robert Lewandowski scored twice in Dortmund's Champions League victory at Zenit.
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Lewandowski, 25, put pen to paper on a five-year contract in January to join Pep Guardiola’s side this summer for free, ending months of speculation about his future.
The Poland international was linked with Bayern as early as 2012, and, following the 2013 Champions League final between the two clubs, it appeared to be only a matter of time until Dortmund allowed their key player a summer switch to the domestic rivals.
However, BVB did not give in, and following minor disturbances between the club and Lewandowkski’s camp, both sides vowed to continue their path together until the summer of 2014 -- with the striker granted a hefty pay rise.
The attacker has since paid back his increased wages in both his goals and his commitment during his final year at the Westfalenstadion.
He has played in every competitive match for Dortmund this season, scoring 22 goals in 32 appearances while notching a further 13 assists.
Lewandowski’s 15 Bundesliga goals may not all have been decisive, but 10 assists -- six of them for either the opening goal or the second goal for Dortmund -- have put the club in a good position to directly qualify for Champions League once again.
By the end of the season, Lewandowski’s attacking contributions could be worth 8.9 million euros.
While Lewandowski has so far had a quiet campaign in the German cup, scoring only once in the first match against lower league side SV Wilhelhmshaven, he has shown that he can single-handedly decide big games.
Dortmund so far have earned 3.85 million euros of bonuses (excluding TV revenues) in the German cup, and, should they qualify for the final, will earn a further three million euros -- a sum that could double by winning the trophy.
Lewandowski’s most striking performances this season have been in the Champions League, where he has scored six goals and created a further three.
His three goals (across two games) against Olympique Marseille, his match-winning strike at Arsenal, and two assists in the 3-1 home win against Napoli helped Dortmund narrowly secure their place in the knockout stages.
This alone put another 3.5 million euros into the club account, while BVB received another four million euros for their four wins during the group stage.
Last week, the Poland international scored a brace at Zenit, and Dortmund will now go into the reverse fixture with a 4-2 lead.
Should they not waste the two-goal advantage, Juergen Klopp’s side are set to earn a further 3.9 million euros with progress to the quarterfinals.
Champions League bonuses, without the starting fee, add up to close to 11.4 million from the competition’s revenue distribution system.
"Already now, still at the beginning of the Rueckrunde [second half of the season], it has become clear that it was the right decision to keep Lewandowski -- also financially," the Ruhr-Area paper WAZ commented this week.