Bayern Munich have reportedly grown increasingly fearful that Robert Lewandowski will rip up his contract with the club in order to force through a move to Barcelona this summer.
The 33-year-old has publicly spoken out about his desire to leave the Bundesliga champions in the coming weeks, amid interest from Barcelona, but Bayern are insisting that the striker sees out the remaining 12 months of his contract with the club.
Barcelona are having issues funding a potential move for the Poland international due to their ongoing financial problems, with a €32m (£27.4m) fee reportedly required to tempt the Bavarians into selling Lewandowski during the upcoming transfer window.
However, another twist during the ongoing saga could arise, with Bayern fully aware that Lewandowski could cancel the remaining year of his contract by paying the club a reduced fee of around €24m (£20.6m) in compensation, according to Bild.
The cancellation is possible under FIFA's Article 17 of its regulations, which state that any player who signed a contract before the age of 28 can buy himself out of the contract three years after the deal was signed, a ruling commonly referred to as the 'Webster Ruling', with reference to Andy Webster's move from Hearts to Wigan back in 2006.
Lewandowski has helped Bayern to eight of its 10 successive Bundesliga titles since making the free transfer move from Borussia Dortmund in 2014, scoring 344 goals in 375 appearances for the club across all competitions.
Matthew Tranter
