Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski could allegedly leave the La Liga champions on a free transfer in 2025 due to a peculiar clause in his contract.
Following eight years of history-making feats at Bayern Munich, Lewandowski called time on his career with the German champions to join Barca in a €45m (£38.6m) transaction.
The 35-year-old's debut season at Camp Nou was a highly successful one, as he scored a league-high 23 goals in La Liga to help Barcelona win the title and amassed 33 in total throughout the campaign.
Lewandowski has picked up where he left off at the start of the 2023-24 campaign with eight strikes and four assists from 16 appearances across La Liga and the Champions League, and his contract runs until 2026 with the option of a further year.
Despite their well-documented economic concerns, Barcelona allegedly agreed to increase Lewandowski's wage for every season he represents the Catalan giants, starting with a €20m (£17.2m) salary for 2022-23.
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The Poland international's wage has since been bumped up to €26m (£22.3m) per annum, and should he remain at the club for a third season, he will pocket €32m (£27.5m) for that campaign.
However, in order to save themselves from potential financial oblivion if Lewandowski's powers wane, Sport claims that Barcelona can terminate the striker's contract in 2025 under certain conditions.
The report states that La Blaugrana can rip up his deal if he does not play at least 45 minutes in 55% of their matches in the 2024-25 season, which would be the penultimate year of his existing contract.
The clause therefore allows Barcelona and Lewandowski an escape route should the ex-Borussia Dortmund man fail to maintain his incredibly high standards in the next couple of years, although his salary would supposedly decrease to €26m (£22.3m) again for the 2024-25 season.
Lewandowski is the only out-and-out centre-forward on the books at Barcelona right now, but Xavi's side are expected to scope out potential successors to the Pole in the coming months given his age.
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The Barca head coach recently confirmed that he tried to convince Atletico Madrid's Alvaro Morata to join the club, having already taken Joao Felix on loan from Diego Simeone's side.
President Joan Laporta has talked up a permanent deal for Felix at the end of the campaign, but the Portugal international has primarily played a supporting role to Lewandowski in the 2023-24 season.
A deal for Atletico Paranaense starlet Vitor Roque will also go through next year, but the 18-year-old will not be expected to become an immediate weekly starter for Barcelona.
Xavi's men sit fourth in the La Liga table, seven points behind leaders Real Madrid, and they return to action with a mouthwatering clash against Atletico on Sunday evening.
Ben Knapton
