Despite having an outstanding goal-scoring season so far, speculation continues regarding Robert Lewandowski’s future as a Barcelona player.
The Polish striker, who turns 37 in August, has netted 30 goals in 32 appearances across all competitions, with his latest goal securing victory against Alavés last weekend.
Due to his age, Barcelona has begun searching for potential successors to Lewandowski, and moves could be made as early as this summer.
However, whoever joins will have to compete with the veteran, as it is almost certain that he will remain in Hansi Flick’s squad until the end of next season.
Previously, there were reports that Lewandowski’s current deal expires this summer, but it includes a clause triggering an automatic one-year extension if he reaches a certain number of appearances this season. While this is not exactly the case, the existing clause is somewhat similar.
According to Sport, Lewandowski’s contract with Barcelona runs until 2026, meaning he will stay for at least another season. If he maintains his current goal-scoring form, there will be no concerns about his continuity.
However, the club has the option to unilaterally terminate the contract this summer if he plays less than 55% of Barcelona’s official matches this season.
As things stand, Lewandowski has reached 50.8%, and just three more appearances would see him surpass the 55% threshold.
As such, Barcelona would need to ensure he plays no more than two matches if they want to keep the option of cutting his stay short by 12 months.
There is no doubt that Lewandowski has been an excellent signing for Barcelona since his arrival from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022.
