Bayern Ace Lewandowski Explains Why He Was 'Sorry' to See Aubameyang Leave Dortmund

Robert Lewandowski has revealed why he was 'sorry' to see Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang trade football in the Bundesliga for the Premier League in January.

The Bayern Munich superstar spoke to German newspaper Kicker (h/t Mundo Deportivo) ahead of his side's Champions League last-16 first leg showdown with Besiktas, and offered his opinion on Aubameyang's switch to Arsenal last month.

The Gabon striker departed Borussia Dortmund for the Emirates in a £56m deal, and Lewandowski admitted that his departure from Germany's top flight meant that he had no other world-class player to truly compete with in the goalscoring charts.

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And the Poland international stated that he would need to be mentally on top of his game in every game so that he didn't fall below the expectations he and his teammates placed on him to keep banging in the goals.

He said: “It was nice to rival him to become the best top scorer of the league. I am sorry he left because this kind of competition is good for both. 

"Now I have to be strong enough mentally to do my job without depending on the competition with somebody else.”

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Lewandowski himself has been mooted with a move away from the Allianz Arena, with Real Madrid reportedly keeping tabs on his situation in the German capital.

However, the 30-year-old remarked that he had no desire to force a transfer away from the reigning champions as he looked to focus on the here and now.

He continued: “Right now I am not thinking about a transfer. I am a player of Bayern Munich and I don’t care about transfer speculations. It would not be good for me and for my teammates. I am a player of Bayern Munich and I want to give it all here. That’s my priority.”

Lewandowski also offered his verdict on temporary boss Jupp Heynckes, who has led Bayern on a truly impressive run of form that has seen them lose just once since his appointment in September.

The attacker added: “He is an excellent coach and an extraordinary person. He knows already what is going to happen and we have to respect his decisions. I am happy to work with him.”