Dortmund refused to sell in 2013, so Bayern simply waited a year and took Lewandowski when his contract expired in the summer of 2014. It was the second time in two years they had signed a Dortmund starter — Mario Götze had gone the other way for a fee in 2013.
Over eight seasons he scored in every competition and every situation, culminating in 55 goals in the 2019-20 treble season and 41 Bundesliga goals in 2021-22, breaking Gerd Müller's record from 1972. He then left for Barcelona in 2022 at 33, for a fee.
Why it worked: no transfer fee, peak years, and a profile — pressing, aerial, two-footed inside the box — that fitted every coach who arrived, from Guardiola to Flick to Nagelsmann.
On the fee
The figure above is a reported fee. Bayern, like most German clubs, do not confirm transfer amounts, so contemporary press reporting is the best available record and add-ons are rarely disclosed. Where a fee is disputed, this site says "reported around" rather than quoting a false precision.