Agent confirms Barcelona star snubbed €100m-per-year contract offer from Saudi Arabia | OneFootball

Barcelona have been relatively quiet in the transfer market in recent years, largely due to their well-documented financial problems restricting signing efforts. The recent departure of Inigo Martinez will help the situation, but it won’t make as much of a dent compared to a big-name exit.

The likes of Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Frenkie de Jong and Robert Lewandowski are among Barcelona’s highest earners, and all three players have been linked with exits over the last 12 months. For now, all three remain, although that may not have been the case for the Polish striker.

Lewandowski, who revealed earlier this week that he snubbed a move to Manchester United earlier in his career, also turned down the chance to become the latest big name to sign for a Saudi Arabian club, as was revealed by his agent Pini Zahavi during an interview with Fakt (via MD).

“Barcelona is his place on earth, where he feels most comfortable. In addition, clubs in Saudi Arabia are overflowing with players; they don’t know what to do with them. There is a limit on the number of foreigners allowed, which limits their options. But Robert didn’t want to play there anyway.

“A year ago, he did receive a concrete offer. They offered him more than €100m per season, but he preferred to fight for La Liga and the Champions League. And he almost achieved both objectives.”

Image via Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

Lewandowski could make Saudi Arabia move in 2026

Barcelona will have been thankful for Lewandowski staying, given that he scored 42 goals in 52 appearances last season. However, there is every chance that he still makes the move to Saudi Arabia, with clubs said to be keen on acquiring him next summer when his contract in Catalonia is due to expire.

As things stand, it’s expected that Lewandowski will leave next summer in order for a younger striker to be signed in his place. However, there is still a chance that he stays at Barcelona until at least 2027, with discussions on that matter expected to take place over the coming months.