Pini Zahavi, agent to Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, has revealed that his client lost a fortune estimated at 200 million euros after turning down a huge Saudi offer in January 2026. Lewandowski held out for a Barcelona renewal that never came, a wait that eventually pushed him to Chicago Fire in the United States once his contract with the Catalan club expired last June, despite his fierce desire to stay one more year at the Camp Nou.
Speaking to Spanish newspaper “AS”, Zahavi said: “In January 2026, Robert received a two-year offer worth 100 million euros per season from Saudi Arabia. He rejected the offer because he wanted to stay at Barcelona. This offer was only available during the winter transfer window, and he could not have got it in the summer.” The agent added that the player genuinely wanted to play in the Saudi league, drawn by the ease of living there and its proximity to Poland compared to the United States.
Lewandowski, according to Zahavi, was waiting for a renewal offer from Barcelona that never came. “I told him he would not get this offer in the summer, but he decided to wait,” the agent said. The decision cost him a huge loss of 200 million euros that had been within his reach.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta was desperate to keep the Pole, Zahavi revealed. “Laporta really adores him, and he wanted Robert to stay at the Camp Nou for another year. I spoke to him about this in December, and he told me then: I want Robert to stay.” But he pointed out that Laporta does not interfere in the coaches’ work, and that sporting director Deco and coach Hansi Flick are the ones who decide the team’s line-up.
“They could not guarantee Robert a place in the starting line-up, which was more important to him than money,” he added. “Nevertheless, Deco and Hansi had different visions for Robert’s future at Barcelona.” That left the 38-year-old striker hunting for a new destination.
On the move to Chicago Fire, Zahavi said: “The Chicago Fire management did their utmost to convince him. It is rare for a team to want a player this much. They were patient, determined, and creative. They did everything in their power to convince Lewandowski.” The American club offered him the second-highest contract in the league after Lionel Messi’s.
Other European options were on the table, too. The agent met senior officials at Milan and spoke with Juventus chief executive Damien Comolli, but he confirmed that “Lewandowski was beyond their financial reach, as the Italian league is no longer the richest league in the world”.
Porto of Portugal also showed interest. “I spoke personally with their management,” Zahavi said. “I knew he wanted to play football, to feel like a leader, and to love and be loved. Porto could have guaranteed him that, but Lewy was not interested in Porto.” The Portuguese club chased him until the last moment.