Earlier today, Robert Lewandowski officially announced his decision to leave FC Barcelona at the expiry of his current contract on 30 June.
Signed from Bayern Munich in 2022, the 37-year-old bids goodbye to the Catalan club as a legend, having won seven trophies in four seasons and scored 119 goals.
As for his next destination, there is still no confirmation about where the 37-year-old Pole will be playing, but everything indicates that he is headed to Saudi Arabia.
Lewandowski Saudi-bound
Indeed, according to Polish outlet Sportowy Kanal (h/t SPORT), Lewandowski has now decided to move to Saudi Arabia once he leaves Barcelona.
As per the report, the proposal on the table is a two-season deal with a mammoth annual net salary of around $45 million.
This massive contract offer has ultimately tipped the balance in favour of a move to the Middle East, despite Lewandowski having interest from several other clubs.
The official offer arrived a few days ago, after Lewandowski agreed to consider a move to Saudi football.
The club in question is believed to be Al Hilal, the richest side in the Saudi league, which is prepared to make a major financial effort to secure his signing.
Although the striker was also considering MLS until the very end, the Saudi offer proved too strong to ignore. Some Italian clubs and FC Porto were also mentioned, but they could not compete financially.
Barça renewal efforts fell short
As per the report, Lewandowski had asked Barcelona for a two-year renewal instead of one. He would even have accepted a one-year deal with an optional extra season based on performance.
However, Barça only offered a one-year extension with a significant wage reduction and performance-based variables, which did not meet the player’s expectations.
Lewandowski wanted those two years to finish his career at Barça and retire in Barcelona, but that plan has not materialised.
