Robert Lewandowski is now under contract with Chicago Fire, but things could have turned out differently. In January 2026, he reportedly turned down a mind-boggling offer from Saudi Arabia—and Barcelona President Joan Laporta actually wanted to keep him.
Robert Lewandowski played as a forward for FC Barcelona for four years, but his importance to the club diminished over time. Last season, the Polish striker still managed 31 league appearances and 14 goals, but he was also substituted in 14 times and out seven times. The 37-year-old’s expiring contract was not renewed by Barcelona.
Half a year before his contract was set to expire, Al-Ittihad, a club from Saudi Arabia, had already set its sights on a premature transfer. At least that’s what Lewandowski’s renowned agent, Pini Zahavi, reported to the Polish media outlet SportoweFakty. “Robert had a two-year offer on the table worth 100 million euros per season and turned it down because he wanted to play for Barcelona,” Zahavi said.
His departure from Barcelona happened nonetheless, but that was apparently due neither to Lewandowski nor to Barcelona’s president. “Joan Laporta loves him—he really does! And he wanted Robert to play at Camp Nou for one more year. I spoke with him about it in December, and he told me at the time, ‘I want Robert to stay,’” said Zahavi, who claims to have been friends with Laporta for 30 years.
The fact that Lewandowski was nevertheless unable to extend his contract was apparently due to Hansi Flick. Laporta himself “doesn’t interfere in the coaches’ work. The sporting director and the coach decide on the roster,” Zahavi said. “And they couldn’t guarantee Robert a spot in the starting lineup, which was even more important to him than the money.” The agent, who incidentally also represents Flick, went on to explain that there were also “differing views on Robert’s future at Barcelona” between the German coach and Deco.
Lewandowski saw many advantages in Saudi Arabia
Ultimately, Lewandowski decided to move to the U.S.—though he apparently would have preferred the desert. “Robert wanted to play in Saudi Arabia, mainly because of the pleasant living conditions there: the minimal time difference between Riyadh and Warsaw, and the shorter distance to Poland compared to the U.S. We also knew that a lot of money was waiting for us.”
But the Saudis had changed their “attitude toward spending,” as Zahavi reported. “I’d known that for several months. For example, I spoke with officials from Al-Ittihad and with people from Qatar. The war has also complicated the situation. A year ago, everything would have turned out very differently.”
