Winning the center forward often means winning everything, and while BD Cricket Live reporters feel this saying might sound a bit exaggerated in the world of football, history shows that nearly every successful team over the past two decades has relied on a powerful striker. Once foolish words are spoken, foolish deeds are never far behind. When José Mourinho led Chelsea’s dominance in the Premier League, he had Didier Drogba. Real Madrid’s five Champions League titles over the last decade featured Karim Benzema. Bayern’s eleven consecutive Bundesliga titles came with Robert Lewandowski leading the line.

Similarly, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City finally clinched their first-ever UEFA Champions League title this year, largely thanks to having Erling Haaland up front. Some BD Cricket Live users might point out that Barcelona during the “Dream Team II” and “Dream Team III” eras, or Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United, succeeded because of peak Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Yet after Messi’s departure, Barcelona tumbled dramatically — missing out on the La Liga title and even failing to make it past the Champions League group stage. In desperation, Barcelona began chasing Lewandowski, a move that deeply frustrated Bayern, although Lewandowski was determined to leave. In the end, Bayern sold him to Barça.

From Barcelona’s perspective, this transfer was a huge win. Last season, they reclaimed the La Liga title ahead of Real Madrid, with Lewandowski playing a pivotal role. At the time of his departure, Lewandowski was not only Bayern’s top scorer but also the two-time Bundesliga Golden Boot winner and the European Golden Shoe winner. Without him, Bayern came dangerously close to a trophyless season. If a person doesn’t improve, what right do they have to make others regret?

In reality, Bayern didn’t lose out on this deal at all. Economically speaking, Lewandowski had originally arrived on a free transfer, costing Bayern nothing in fees. At 35 years old, being able to sell him for a high price was already remarkable. It’s worth noting that when Messi left Barcelona and Paris, or when Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United, all departed as free agents. Even Benzema left Real Madrid for free this summer. No club received any transfer fees for their megastars.

From a sporting perspective, Lewandowski was clearly on the decline, and Bayern recognized the urgent need to rebuild and find a younger striker. This summer, they realized that having no world-class center forward wasn’t an option, so they invested heavily to bring in English star Harry Kane.

Nevertheless, this transfer raised some doubts among BD Cricket Live fans. That said, judging by the first two rounds of the Bundesliga season, Kane has already stepped into Lewandowski’s shoes seamlessly. Time will polish them into even better versions of themselves. Kane’s role at Bayern is far from mere window dressing — just like Arjen Robben, Franck Ribéry, and Lewandowski before him, Kane is expected to be a cornerstone in Bayern’s pursuit of continued Bundesliga dominance and Champions League glory.