’Obsessing’ Over Haaland Replacing Lewandowski at Barcelona a ‘Mistake’

Expiring contracts and expensive transfer fees pose Barcelona a problem.

Erling Haaland (right) has been touted as a possible replacement for Robert Lewandowski. | Alex Caparros/Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

Barcelona sporting director Deco has insisted the club has not yet made a decision on Robert Lewandowski’s future as he warned fans against “obsessing” over a move for a superstar like Erling Haaland.

Lewandowski, who turned 37 in August, is in the final year of his contract and is clearly not a long-term option. Manchester City’s Haaland and former teammate Julián Alvarez, now of Atlético Madrid, have both been touted as expensive replacements for the Poland international.

The door to a short-term extension for Lewandowski, who has four goals in seven games this season, has not yet been closed, however. Deco confirmed to Catalunya Ràdio that talks will be held later in the campaign.

“We’re not going to talk about renewals in October,” he said. “We’re going step by step.

“[Lewandowski] is one of the best forwards of recent years, a top-level player. He’s helped us a lot. He’s scored more than 40 goals, but we’ll analyze that later. It’s time to talk about recovering injured players.”

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Deco: Barcelona May Not Even Sign a New Striker

Deco insisted there are other options. | Alex Caparros/Getty Images

Not only did Deco cool speculation of Barcelona making big-money move for a player like Haaland or Alvarez to replace Lewandowski, but he argued that there may not be a need for an out-and-out central striker.

Fresh in Deco’s mind was Paris Saint-Germain’s success with Ousmane Dembélé, a winger by trade, playing in a fluid role, with Ferran Torres, a scorer of five goals in all competitions during 2025–26, impressing in a similar role.

“If someone told me there was someone like Lewandowski on the market, we’d go for him,” Deco conceded. “But I don’t think this is the time to talk about signings.

“We have Ferran right now, who can fill that role. And we shouldn’t obsess. If you look at PSG, they’ve won a Champions League title without a number 9 in the box.

“Obsessing over that is a mistake, and it’s not the time to talk about this.”

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