Robert Lewandowski Fuels Uncertainty Over Barcelona Future With Surprise Confession

Barcelona’s No. 9 has scored 109 goals for the club but could become a free agent in 2026.

Robert Lewandowski is yet to make a decision. / Maciej Rogowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

Robert Lewandowski has further raised the possibility of leaving Barcelona this coming summer by admitting he doesn’t actually know where he wants to play next season.

Lewandowski is on course to become a free agent from July 1, yet still feels far from retirement even though his next birthday in August will be his 38th—eight goals so far in 2025–26 suggests his powers might finally be waning but still represents a good output.

dark. FREE NEWSLETTER. New SI FC Newsletter Global Embed. Sign Up to Get Informed With SI FC

No decision on the veteran striker’s decision has made been, seemingly by either himself or Barcelona, who have gone from Erling Haaland, to Harry Kane, to Julián Alvarez as replacements. Haaland feels impossible to wrestle away from Manchester City and has effectively been ruled out, while Kane is openly totally committed to Bayern Munich. Alvarez is by far the most attainable, but enormous cost and limited finances could affect Barça’s ability to pull that one off.

“I have time to make a decision,” Lewandowski revealed during an interview with Polish journalist Bogdan Rymanowski published on YouTube.

“Right now, I don’t know where I want to play,” he added. “I don’t know which direction to take, but I have no pressure. A lot depends on the club’s plan and what I want.”

The latter admission suggests that he’s aware Barcelona may choose not to offer him a new contract at all, forcing him to look elsewhere anyway, even if he ideally wanted to stay.

Lewandowski could end up leaving Europe. / Pedro Salado/Getty Images

An obvious option for Lewandowski should he leave Camp Nou is the Saudi Pro League. Agent Pini Zahavi confirmed last summer a “concrete” offer from the wealthy Gulf nation that his client turned down was worth €100 million ($117.7 million) per season.

According to AS, a fresh meeting between Zahavi and Saudi representatives is imminent, with a two year-contract described as “very real and financially attractive” to Lewandowski. He is also known to be a serious target for Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire, although the American team lacks the financial power to come close to matching what Saudi Arabia might put on the table.

---

Barcelona Asked Lewandowski to Stop Scoring Goals

Barcelona officials were worried in 2023. / PAU BARRENA/AFPGetty Images

In his chat with Rymanowski, Lewandowski went on to suggest that Barcelona had quietly advised him it might not be in the club’s best financial interest if he kept scoring goals in his debut season in 2022–23. The issue was that an agreement in his transfer from Bayern Munich a few months earlier included an additional €2.5 million payment, triggerable if Lewandowski scored 25 La Liga goals.

It came at a time when saving every penny possible was critical for Barcelona’s financial health.

Lewandowski, who fell two goals short of the key number, insists it didn’t change what he was doing, but it did at least make him think twice about things. Barcelona won La Liga that season so there is no question of financial compromises sabotaging the team on the pitch.

“There are things I don’t want to talk about. I have a lot of respect for Barcelona and the people who work there,” Lewandowski began.

“I was aware of the club’s situation. There were many other issues that needed to be resolved for the good of the club. In short, it was a bonus, and everyone knows that at that time Barcelona was watching every euro, and it wasn’t a small amount.

“For me, it didn’t change anything. I have no problem with that, but it stuck in my mind and I wondered whether to score a goal or not.”

---

READ THE LATEST TRANSFER NEWS AND RUMORS FROM WORLD SOCCER

feed