Will Lewandowski finally join the Premier League?

Niko Kovac has stressed Bayern Munich have no interest in selling Robert Lewandowski while ruling out a move for Croatia international Ante Rebic.

Lewandowski, who has scored 106 Bundesliga goals in four seasons with Bayern, has persistently been linked with a switch to Real Madrid.

But Kovac revealed he has spoken with the 29-year-old about his desire to keep him in Munich, and the player is happy to remain.

“It’s true that Robert and I had a conversation last week,” Kovac told Sport Bild.

“Robert knows how I think about him and what I think of him. The whole club knows his qualities. He is certainly among the top three strikers in the world.

“We certainly will not give him up. That’s the statement I gave him. Robert accepted that. I really enjoyed that.”

One player who will not be joining Lewandowski at the Allianz Arena is Eintracht Frankfurt forward Rebic.

Kovac was Rebic’s coach at Frankfurt, who he will face in his first official match in charge of Bayern on Sunday in the DFL-Supercup, and is an admirer but does not intend to pursue the 24-year-old.

“Ante is a strong personality and a great player who has developed brilliantly in the last two years at Frankfurt, and at the World Cup with Croatia,” Kovac added.

“But [a transfer] makes no sense. It doesn’t make sense today, and it won’t tomorrow.”

He began his senior career at RNK Split, and in 2013 signed for Serie A club Fiorentina for an undisclosed fee. He spent most of his time there out on loan to RB Leipzig, Hellas Verona and Eintracht Frankfurt before joining the latter permanently in 2018 after scoring their goals in their DFB-Pokal victory.

Rebić made his senior international debut for Croatia in 2013, the same year that he was voted Croatian Football Hope of the Year. He represented them at the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and 2018, reaching the final of the latter.

Rebic is utilized as a winger and even second striker at times due to his high attacking work rate and shot power. He has an adaptable and fluid playing style that makes him a quite versatile footballer.

He is most visibly known for his very high work rate and technique. Review of his most recent performances during the 2018 World Cup showed he can constantly press opposition, recover lost balls between changes in possession, and still get forward to take defenders on one-on-one.

His outstanding touch, pace, and attacking and defending work-rate caught the eye of several large clubs, most notably Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho. After his outstanding World Cup performance under coach Zlatko Dalić, Eintracht Frankfurt placed an estimated €45m on his transfer purchase.