Overview
- Zahavi told Polish media that in January 2026 Lewandowski was offered a two-year Saudi contract worth €100 million per season and chose to refuse it so he could remain at Barcelona.
- The Barcelona president Joan Laporta wanted Lewandowski to stay but sporting director Deco and coach Hansi Flick would not promise him a place in the starting eleven, which Zahavi says mattered more to the player than money.
- When Roshn-backed Saudi clubs shifted their spending later in the year the January package was no longer available and Lewandowski’s Barcelona contract ran out.
- At the end of June Lewandowski signed a two-year deal with MLS side Chicago Fire reported at roughly $40 million in total, a sum Zahavi described as the league’s second-highest behind Lionel Messi’s.
- Zahavi said he explored alternatives including talks with Al-Ittihad, AC Milan, Juventus and Porto, and quoted Laporta praising Lewandowski and leaving the door open for a future return to Barcelona.