Barcelona planning for star to exit in summer of 2026 | OneFootball

Barcelona may have been told to halt their planning for the coming summer transfer window, something that would prevent them going for a forward this year. However it is a task that Director of Football Deco cannot put off more than one more year.

That is because it is likely that Robert Lewandowski will no longer be there in the 2026-27 season. The Polish veteran has been keen to hit back at criticism of his age in recent seasons, and has certainly done so with goals this year, already surpassing his totals for the previous two years.

While it has not been confirmed publicly, Barcelona have reportedly already agreed a deal for Lewandowski to extend his contract for next year.The former Bayern Munich forward did have a clause in his contract which dictated if he played at least 45 minutes in half of their games this season, then he would automatically be extended. However Lewandowski and Barcelona had come to an agreement instead.

Image via RTVE

There had been some talk that an option for a second year would be included in the deal, something that would potentially allow them to spread the salary limit hit from his wages. Regardless, Sport say that it is unlikely he will be there to fulfil it. Wojciech Szczesny is another who is close to agreeing a contract renewal, and his friendship with Lewandowski is a key reason for his decision to stay. However the Catalan daily say that it is ‘very likely’ that both will finish their time at Barcelona at the end of the 2026 season.

For the Blaugrana, the big concern is whether they will have the money or salary limit space to pursue a replacement. Ferran Torres has been scoring at an astounding rate this season, but there is no escaping the fact that Lewandowski is still the top scorer in Spain, and Torres cannot take over all of the Polish striker’s minutes. In addition, both are differing profiles, and Lewandowski’s exit would leave them without a classic number nine in their squad.