Long-time Manchester United and Chelsea target Robert Lewandowski will not be moving to the Premier League, his Borussia Dortmund coach has intimated.
Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that the Polish striker will join Bayern Munich next year.
Earlier this summer, Lewandowski expressed his desire to join European champions this transfer window, albeit Dortmund were adamant he would not leave before the forthcoming season and not to their Bundesliga rivals.
United and Chelsea had wanted to capitalise on the uncertainty to lure him to Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge respectively, but the manager has now said he will see the remaining one year in his current contract before moving to the Allianz Arena next year.
“I think it is a known fact that Robert is going to play for Bayern after the upcoming season,” Klopp told Welt am Sonntag. “Now the only question is how to shape the time until then.
“This is our concern and it is our commitment to our fans and members to ensure that we will have a more competitive team in the upcoming season.
“Up to a certain point we were with Robert’s desire for change and were ready to talk. But nothing happened so we had to eventually say: (A sale) now longer works for us.’
“And now we want to prove that, with a quality player like Robert, we can be successful in the coming year. Our results in the coming season is what we’re all about. I know that Robert and I see it the same way.”
The striker’s present contract runs until 2014 before he will be allowed to join Bayern as a free agent.
