Barcelona have decided not to offer Robert Lewandowski a new contract, setting the stage for the veteran striker’s exit from Camp Nou when his deal expires next summer.
The club’s choice signals a clear shift in planning as Barcelona prepares to reshape its attacking options around younger players and different tactical requirements.
Since his arrival from Bayern Munich in 2022, Lewandowski has delivered consistently: goals, decisive moments and trophies that underlined his enduring quality.
His finishing and presence in the box have remained potent, but the club has concluded that longevity and long-term squad balance must now take precedence.
Robert Lewandowski’s time at Barcelona reads like a striker’s manifesto: clinical, relentless and richly productive. Since arriving from Bayern Munich in 2022, the Pole has delivered headline-grabbing figures that underline both his consistency and his importance to the Blaugrana attack.
• Official appearances: 153
• Goals for Barcelona: 101
• Minutes played: 11,922
• Yellow cards: 13
• Red cards: 1
Season-by-season impact:
• 2022–23: 47 appearances, 33 goals.
• 2023–24: 49 appearances, 26 goals.
• 2024–25: 48 appearances, 38 goals.
• 2025–26 (so far): 9 appearances, 4 goals.
Competition highlights and influence
• Lewandowski has been Barcelona’s primary goalscoring engine across La Liga and European nights, combining ruthless penalty-box finishing with astute movement and a knack for decisive moments.
• His scoring consistency powered title bids and provided a dependable focal point in attack, while his leadership and experience bolstered a squad blending youth and ambition.
• Beyond the raw totals, Lewandowski’s goals have come in pivotal fixtures — league run-ins, Champions League ties and domestic cup clashes — underlining his reputation as a modern goal machine.
Rationale behind the decision
Barcelona’s calculation weighed several factors: age-related projection, wage structure and succession planning. \he hierarchy judged that extending a contract to a player entering the twilight of his career would not align with the club’s strategic trajectory, prioritizing a transition to younger, more sustainable attacking solutions.
Lewandowski is expected to attract widespread interest as a free agent next summer, with several European clubs likely to consider a short-term, high-impact signing. At Camp Nou, the club must manage a tactful departure for a modern goal machine while accelerating recruitment or promoting from within to fill the looming void.
Fans will greet the news with a blend of gratitude and curiosity—thankful for Lewandowski’s goals and decisive contributions, while increasingly focused on a new attacking era taking shape at Barcelona.