Robert Lewandowski appears set to end his four-year association with Barcelona, with reports indicating the Poland captain is leaning heavily towards joining AC Milan on a free transfer when his current deal expires at the end of the 2025/26 season.
According to Football Espana, Lewandowski’s agent Pini Zahavi has already opened direct talks with Milan, and the striker himself has reportedly given the Rossoneri the green light to proceed. The Italian club are understood to be offering a two-year contract — a significantly more attractive proposition than what Barcelona have placed on the table.
Barcelona’s hierarchy had originally planned to allow Lewandowski to depart at the end of the season as part of broader efforts to reduce their wage bill. That intention appeared to be foreshadowed publicly in January 2026 when the striker’s wife, Anna Lewandowska, stated that the current campaign would “probably be my husband’s last [year] here.” The club has since reversed that position, offering a one-year extension — but attached to it is a 50% salary reduction on his fixed wages, a requirement driven by La Liga‘s stringent 1:1 Financial Fair Play regulations. Performance-related bonuses tied to goals and appearances are included in the package, though those additions have reportedly done little to soften Lewandowski’s sense of being undervalued.
Milan’s offer is seen as more appealing not only because of the contract length but also because of the sporting role on offer. The Serie A club are prepared to position Lewandowski as their primary centre-forward — a guaranteed starting role rather than a conditional one. That level of commitment appears to be a decisive factor for the striker, who has made clear he has no intention of retiring.
Lewandowski also has options beyond Europe. Proposals from clubs in the United States and Saudi Arabia are reportedly on the table, but sources suggest the former Borussia Dortmund forward is keen to conclude his European career in Italy rather than pursue a lucrative move to either league.
Since joining Barcelona from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022, Lewandowski has been central to the club’s domestic success, contributing to two La Liga title wins. He arrived at the age of 33 and has continued to perform at an elite level, though his age and wage demands have complicated any long-term planning at the Catalan club.
At 37, Lewandowski would become one of the older high-profile signings in recent Serie A history should the Milan move materialise. The Italian league has, however, shown a growing appetite for experienced forwards in recent transfer windows. Milan themselves are in the process of reshaping their squad following a turbulent domestic campaign, and securing an established goalscorer of Lewandowski’s profile would represent a statement of intent heading into 2026/27.
With the summer transfer window set to open in July, the coming weeks are expected to bring further clarity. Lewandowski’s contract with Barcelona officially expires on 30 June 2026, at which point he would be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with any club outside Spain — a threshold that, according to reports, may already have been informally reached through Zahavi’s ongoing dialogue with Milan.
