Robert Lewandowski Rejected €200 Million Offer from Saudi Arabia

18:56 / 29.07.2026·29·Sport

It has been revealed that star striker Robert Lewandowski turned down a fantastic financial offer from Saudi Arabia during his career, preferring to stay at Barcelona. This was stated by the player's agent, Pini Zahavi. In an interview with SportoweFakty, Zahavi disclosed that the experienced Polish forward was offered a two-year contract by a Middle Eastern club with a salary of €100 million per year. This is reported by Goal.com.

According to Goal.com, Lewandowski turned down this immense wealth and ultimately chose to move to the MLS club Chicago Fire. However, during his final years at the Catalan club, he simply pushed aside an opportunity that could have made him one of the highest-paid athletes on the planet. His agent simply explained why he rejected the offer: the player specifically wanted to play for Barcelona.

Why did Saudi Arabia attract attention?

Interestingly, the agent admitted that if Robert had been forced to leave Barcelona, Saudi Arabia might have been a priority destination for him. The main reason was related to logistics and convenience. The small time difference between Riyadh and Warsaw, as well as its closer proximity to Poland compared to the United States, appealed to the striker.

Nevertheless, the forward had no intention of abandoning his team mid-season. Pini Zahavi had warned the player at the time that the offer might lose its validity by the summer transfer window. Given the changing spending policies of Saudi clubs and the complicated market situation, the agent had clearly explained the reality to his client.

Playing time at the club and the final decision

Despite the player's desire to stay at the club, Barcelona's management and coaching staff could not guarantee him regular playing time in the starting XI. According to Zahavi, club president Joan Laporta wanted Robert to stay, but he does not interfere with the coaches' work.

Hansi Flick and sporting director Deco hold priority in determining the team's starting lineup and could not promise the Polish striker the minutes he demanded. For Robert Lewandowski and his representatives, being on the pitch regularly and becoming a core figure of the team was more important than money, which is why they ultimately began considering other options.