Lewandowski successor unclear
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With Kosovo, Fisnik Asllani will probably have the biggest game of his career so far on Tuesday when he faces Turkey in the World Cup qualifying playoffs. If he succeeds in qualifying, the TSG Hoffenheim striker could continue to play his way into the limelight of larger clubs at the summer tournament. If you believe what his advisor says, there is already a lot of interest.
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Ayman Dahmani, an employee of the ROGON agency, which looks after Asllani, among others, told the Arabic news service “Erem News”: “FC Barcelona is seriously interested at the moment. There has been contact with the Catalans.” This is likely to have been limited to the players’ side, as negotiations with the Kraichgauers are not necessary. In his contract, which is valid until 2029, Asllani has an exit clause that is between 25 million and 29 million euros – and according to Dahmani, a departure would only be possible for this sum.
Robert Lewandowski’s contract in Barcelona ends in the summer, as he turns 38 in August. It is still unclear whether the Pole will be behind in Spain for at least a year. Either way, long-term succession is a concern for club bosses and Asllani could be a suitable candidate. In 28 games, the Berlin native scored nine goals and provided eight assists, plus three goals in six international matches since the summer, one of them in the 4-3 win against Slovakia on Thursday, which preserved the World Cup chances.
“It’s really crazy how quickly things can sometimes happen when you look at where I was in Elversberg a year and a half ago. My market value back then was 800,000 euros, now it’s 30 million,” reflected Asllani in a recent “Kicker” interview. Since the start of the season this has increased by 22 million euros, only eleven Bundesliga professionals made a larger jump in the same period.
