Bayern don't want Barca to pay for Lewa next year because there won't be Barca then

Bayern are willing to sell their want-away striker Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona - but only if the Catalan club pays the full amount of around $50 million upfront - and not in instalments. The reason? The directors of the German club aren't sure Barcelona will exist in a year or two!

The chilling claim from the Germain champions filtered through to the highly respectable and trusted journalist Raphael Honigstein on Wednesday morning.

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The Catalans are forced to engage in yet more financial acrobatics to stay afloat and assemble a respectable side ahead of the new campaign. They want to make the 34-year-old Polish international the star of their attack, but Lewandowski's current employers won't let the Camp Nou club divide the massive fee into instalments. It's simple: pay us the money while you're still in business.

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It's no secret where the damning prediction of Barcelona's fortunes is coming from. Bayern's honorary president Uli Hoeness, who used to play for the club and acted as their president for decades, spoke out many times about sustainability in football - and how Barcelona couldn't be further away from it.

However, since the news was broken, Honigsten took to Twitter to explain his words, claiming that it was only a comment made in a jovial mood.

"Apparently Bayern have asked for all money upfront and then jokingly added that Bayern might not be sure that Barca are still around to pay their bills in one or two years. This was a lighthearted comment in a podcast, not a report."

The saga continues - and, to be perfectly honest, we'll be delighted when it's finally finished.