Manchester United are preparing an offer to sign Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski as they begin to plan for a potential return to the Champions League next season.
Caretaker manager Michael Carrick has put Man United in pole position to qualify for the 2026-27 version of the tournament, with the Red Devils currently sitting comfortably in third position in the Premier League table.
With seven matches of the season remaining and with their full focus on league games, United lie six points above fifth-placed Liverpool, with a top-five finish likely to be enough to secure their spot in Europe's elite club competition next term.
While a decision is yet to be made on whether Carrick will get the job permanently or if United will look to appoint another candidate, work will be underway on identifying key transfer targets to boost a squad that may well be competing on more fronts next season.
Man Utd Open Talks Over Robert Lewandowski Deal
Lewandowski MixCollage-23-Jan-2026-03-53-PM-7871
According to Sports Boom, United have opened talks over a deal to sign Barcelona striker Lewandowski, and they are prepared to offer him a one-year deal to move to Old Trafford.
The veteran 37-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season at the Camp Nou and is assessing his options, with Barca expected to offer him an extension.
However, the La Liga giants' proposal is likely to include a 'significant' pay cut, based on performance-related bonuses, which could see him seek a deal elsewhere.
United see Lewandowski as someone who can act as a mentor to the likes of Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo in attack, as they look to return to the elite in the coming years.
The Red Devils could lose both Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee this summer, which would leave a gap in their attack that needs to be filled.
One potential issue to any agreement is that the Poland international is said to be looking for a multi-year contract at this stage of his career.
Lewandowski Deal Would be a Cristiano Ronaldo Repeat
Cristiano Ronaldo
While United appear to be heading away from their previous strategy of being open to signing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani in the latter years of their careers, it appears as though they might make an exception for Lewandowski.
And who can blame them?
Despite his advancing years, the 37-year-old remains a prolific goalscorer with 16 goals in 37 appearances in all competitions for Barca this term, and he has even been labelled as 'the best player in the world of all time' by former Polish teammate Tomasz Kuszczak.
As well as the successes they had with Ibrahimovic and Cavani, United also re-signed Ronaldo when he was 36 years of age, and it proved to be a positive move.
The Portugal legend scored 27 goals in 54 games for the Red Devils between 2021 and 2022, before making the switch to Saudi Arabia.
Everything points to the fact that Lewandowski could put up similar numbers given his form for Barca, all while helping someone like Sesko become an even better striker simultaneously.
It really is a no-brainer signing if they can agree a deal, with United having such big success in the past with big-name strikers towards the end of their careers.