Barcelona might be done with Lewandowski

Barcelona won the 2022/23 LaLiga season in large part because of the goals contributed by former Bayern München striker Robert Lewandowski, who effectively ran away with the Pichichi Trophy.

Although Lewa’s first season in Catalunya was successful, this second campaign has been far from a dream for the record-breaking Bundesliga striker. The goal well has been drier, but the all-around play has been much more disappointing.

Culers expect a certain level of technical quality and contribution in the build-up play from their No. 9, and Lewandowski has missed out on that aesthetic.

He isn’t doing enough to help Barça win, and while a lot is on his plate because of the underwhelming attacking options around him, Lewa could be doing more to lead the line.

According to a report from Diario Sport’s Alfredo Martínez, Barcelona are frustrated with the star striker’s lack of impact in 2023/24, so he is no longer seen as untouchable internally.

Lewandowski could even be sold in the summer market for 20 million euros.

It is important not be reactionary, but Lewandowski was always a short-term signing liable to bust by either declining or not fitting the playing style. He’s not the most giving striker, even if he has an all-around impact. That has waned severely this season.

Barcelona need to find a long-term option at striker anyway. In academy product Marc Guiu, Barça may have unearthed that player, but by selling Lewa, they could invest in someone else to hedge their bets.

While Barça would make a loss on paper by selling the Polish international for 20 million euros, they’d honestly be getting a net gain in another way, given how important he was to winning the LaLiga crown last season.

Despite the poor performance in 2023/24, Lewandowski hasn’t been all bad. He is still one of the best strikers in LaLiga even at less than 100 percent, and he is far from the biggest problem in the side.

However, because of his wages and the expectations on the striker position, it is important for Barcelona to put additional pressure on a veteran who can handle it. If he can’t step up to the plate, moving on is a reasonable discussion to have.