Barcelona have shortlisted a striker who WILL change clubs in 2026 as a worthy replacement for Robert Lewandowski, and the frontman in question could have joined Manchester United over the summer.
Lewandowski, 37, is in the final year of his contract at Barcelona. The legendary striker has helped fire Barca to two LaLiga titles in his three full years at the club, but his age is prompting a re-think.
Barcelona don’t plan to offer Lewandowski a new deal. That news was relayed by Sport earlier this week, and Fabrizio Romano – while not categorically saying Lewandowski is leaving – did state there are ‘concrete chances’ for that to happen.
As such, Barcelona are already hard at work identifying a top-class striker to take Lewandowski’s place.
There have been fanciful links to Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland, but neither deal is realistic.
Hansi Flick’s side are beholden to LaLiga’s 1:1 rule, meaning they can only spend one euro on transfer fees and player wages for every euro they free up from sales and ridding salaries off the books.
Lewandowski is a high earner, but he’ll be leaving via free agency, meaning Barca won’t be able to pay a big transfer fee for the new man.
Accordingly, it’s the free agents market where their next No. 9 might lay, and per the latest from Tuttosport, they’re looking at Dusan Vlahovic.
Barcelona want Vlahovic – he could’ve joined Man Utd
The Juventus man’s race is run in Turin and like Lewandowski, he’s expected to change clubs when his contract expires next summer.
Juventus have actually been shipping Vlahovic around for some time, and per Romano, he was offered to Man Utd on several occasions over the summer.
Reporting on his YouTube channel at a time when Man Utd were still pushing for Benjamin Sesko, Romano stated: “Manchester United, in the last three days, Saturday, Sunday, Monday morning, have been offered the possibility to sign Dusan Vlahovic again.
“Vlahovic is out of the Juventus project, Vlahovic is a player who can leave Juventus for a good proposal, and he’s been offered to Manchester United again. Something like, ‘Okay, if you can’t get a deal done for Sesko, Vlahovic is an opportunity’.
“He’s raised on the table, but Manchester United’s reply during all three days was, ‘We are focused on Sesko, we want to go for Sesko, we are still in for Sesko’. So United are waiting for that story as a priority.”
Romano added: “Then, if Sesko will decide to go to Newcastle… I told you several times, in that case, maybe United will consider different options for the new striker. But at the moment, [no] was the answer to Vlahovic.”
Vlahovic has started the new campaign in fine form, notching six goals in just 383 minutes of action.
Nevertheless, reports in Italy continue to suggest Juventus and the Serbian will part ways when the current season ends.
A player Man Utd could have signed for far less than it cost to sign Sesko could then wind up as Barcelona’s replacement for one of the greatest strikers of all time.
Lewandowski’s mark of 680 career goals currently places him seventh on the all-time list of highest-scoring footballers.
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