Lewandowski set to join Barca after verbal agreement with Bayern

BERLIN: Poland striker Robert Lewandowski is set to join Barcelona after Bayern Munich reached a verbal agreement with the La Liga side on a transfer, the Bundesliga champions said on Saturday.

The 33-year-old has 12 months remaining on his Bayern contract and multiple media reports had said he was expected to sign a three-year deal with the 26-times Spanish champions.

“We have come to a verbal agreement with Barcelona,” Bayern president Herbert Hainer said in a statement.

“It’s good to have clarity for all parties. Robert is an incredible player and he won everything with us. We are incredibly grateful to him.” Spanish media reported that Barcelona would pay around 45 million euros ($45.4 million) plus another 5 million in add-ons for the striker.

Lewandowski joined Bayern in 2014 from Borussia Dortmund and has won the Bundesliga every year since then, as well as the Champions League in 2020.

Named FIFA Best Men’s Player for the second straight year in January, Lewandowski said in May that his story with Bayern was over and he could not imagine staying on with the German champions.

The club were not eager to let the Bundesliga’s second-highest all-time scorer go, but Bayern sports director Hasan Salihamidzic had confirmed Lewandowski did not accept an offer to extend his contract and was looking for new experience elsewhere.

Bayern also announced that German international Serge Gnabry, who had been linked by the British media with a return to the Premier League, had extended his contract until 2026.—Reuters

Chelsea sign Senegal defender Koulibaly from Napoli

LONDON: Chelsea have completed the signing of Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli on a four-year contract, the Premier League club said on Saturday.

British media reported Chelsea paid a fee in the region of 32 million pounds ($38 million) for Koulibaly, who becomes the London side’s second summer signing since the Todd Boehly-led takeover after Raheem Sterling’s arrival on Wednesday.

“I’m very happy to be here with this team at Chelsea,” Koulibaly said in a statement. “It’s a big team in the world and my dream was always to play in the Premier League.

“Chelsea came first to get me in 2016 but we didn’t make it. Now when they came to me I accepted it because they really wanted me to come to the Premier League to play for them.” Chelsea lost centre backs Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen earlier in the close season, and Koulibaly’s addition will come as a boost for Thomas Tuchel’s side as they look to close the gap on Manchester City and Liverpool.

Koulibaly made 317 appearances for Napoli after joining from Belgian club Genk in 2014, winning two trophies and cementing his place among some of the top defenders in Italy.—Reuters

Three matches decided

LAHORE: Three more matches were decided in the first Chief of Army Staff National Inter-Club Hockey Championship here at the National Hockey Stadium on Saturday.

In the first match, Ali Aamir Club, Sargodha routed Bijlighar Reds Club, Mardan 4-1 while Youth Hockey Club Malir edged out Jinnah Club, Islamabad 3-2.

In the last match of the day, KK Club, Faisalabad bulldozed Civil Quarter Club, Peshawar 4-0.

Three more matches will be played on Sunday in which top ten clubs of the country are contesting for the national level title.—Sports Reporter

Ahsan loses quarter-final

KARACHI: Incumbent world champion Ahsan Ramzan crashed out of the World Games snooker event suffering a 1-3 defeat at the hands of Hong Kong’s Cheung Ka Wai in the last-eight round at Birmingham, US on Friday.

According to the results made available here, the 16-year-old Ahsan started well by winning the first frame but could not maintain the pace and lost the following three frames. Cheung won the battle 10-59, 60-28, 67-60, 59-53.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2022