Robert Lewandowski confirmed last night that he will swap Borussia Dortmund for Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich next summer on a free transfer.
It's a move that has been mooted for some time now, so much so that Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp recruited Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Saint-Etienne this summer in preparation for the Poland international's departure.
However, it is anticipated that Klopp would be eager to add another centre-forward to his squad to compensate for the loss of Lewandowski.
Taking that into consideration, Sports Mole has drawn up a list of five potential replacements for the Bayern-bound 25-year-old.
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One would imagine that Hernandez will only take playing second fiddle to the likes of Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck at Manchester United for so long. Despite having scored 50 goals from his 120 outings for the Red Devils - many of which have come as a substitute - the Mexican international has found opportunities hard to come by under new manager David Moyes so far this season. He differs from Lewandowski in that he does not possess as good a first touch, but he is much quicker and equally as clinical.
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This one seems logical, doesn't it? After all, it's doubtful that Lewandowski has agreed to sign for Bayern without the guarantee that he will be their main marksman. Consequently, Mandzukic would be relegated to the bench, feeding off the scraps of DFB-Pokal matches and the like. Having been Bayern's favoured striker during their treble success last term, it's unlikely that the 27-year-old would settle for a bit-part role. Mandzukic may not be as prolific as his potential replacement at the Allianz Arena, but his tireless workrate makes him a pest for defenders and would also endear him to the Dortmund faithful.
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Last season Kiessling outscored both Lewandowski and Mandzukic in the Budesliga, having found the net on 25 occasions from 34 appearances. It is usually Bayern that weaken their Bundesliga rivals by signing their better players (Mario Gotze, Dante, Mandzukic, Lewandowski etc), but perhaps Bayer Leverkusen could fall victim to Dortmund's need for firepower. The fact that Kiessling has proven himself to be a regular scorer of goals in Germany would mean that his arrival would not be accompanied by an element of risk. As a result, Leverkusen are bound to demand top dollar for their 29-year-old.
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It would take a brave player to trade Schalke 04 for Dortmund, especially when you consider the hatred that exists between the Revierderby rivals. Bitterness aside and like Kiessling, Huntelaar has been there, done it and got the T-shirt as far as scoring goals in the Bundesliga is concerned. During the 2011-12 campaign, the Dutchman netted 48 goals from as many appearances in all competitions. What's more, while the 30-year-old was by no means at his clinical best last time out, he still found the net 16 times. With around 18 months to run on his deal with Schalke, Huntelaar could also be captured relatively cheaply, even with rival tax slapped on top.
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If Klopp is seeking a smooth transition, then Manchester City's Dzeko is arguably the safest bet. His and Lewandowski's style of play are not too dissimilar, although it could be argued that Bosnian Dzeko is the better of the two in the air. He has also shown his worth in Germany, scoring 66 goals from 111 outings for Wolfsburg prior to joining City in the winter of 2011. He may have been given more opportunities under Manuel Pellegrini at the Etihad Stadium, but with Alvaro Negredo given the nod ahead of him during the recent Manchester derby, it would suggest that he is not the Chilean's first choice in the encounters that really matter.
