Robert Lewandowski is set to join Barcelona from Bayern Munich after the two clubs agreed on a €45 million deal. Lewandowski had a year left on his contract with the Bavarians but was reportedly eager to move on.
The Nou Camp was his preferred destination, and he had already agreed to terms with Barcelona a few months ago.
Although Barcelona remains one of Europe's most powerful clubs, few expected them to spend big this summer due to their well-documented financial constraints. Despite this, the La Liga club is set to sign one of the world's best strikers this summer. However, this could be a bad decision on their part, with serious consequences.
Signing Lewandowski is not, by any means, a step backwards. Xavi, on the other hand, has been appointed to usher in a new era at the club and to work with the youth, including promoting players from the La Masia academy.
Thus, signing a young striker who could be developed into a top prospect would have been a wise investment for Barcelona. Hugo Ekitike (recently signed by Paris Saint-Germain), Adam Hlozek, Gianluca Scammaca, and a few others would have been ideal candidates. At the same time, they would have been less expensive and would not have demanded such high wages.
When Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang decided to retire or leave the club, a young striker could have taken over.
Adding to the previous point, Lewandowski is getting older and will have to slow down at some point. The Poland international will turn 34 in August 2022 and is expected to sign a four-year contract at the Nou Camp.
As a result, he can stay until he's 38, and there's no guarantee he'll be at the top of his game in the coming years. Although he has maintained a high level of fitness over the years, age eventually catches up with any player, as seen with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese superstar scored 18 Premier League goals last season, but he was more of a burden than a blessing for Manchester United at times. Messi also completed the
Barcelona's signing of players like Lewandowski is a statement of intent, and few will argue against it. But it's debatable whether they really need to add another striker to an already crowded frontline.
Before agreeing to terms with the former Bayern Munich star, the club re-signed Ousmane Dembele, whose contract had expired, while also bringing Raphinha to the club. In addition to the right-wing duo, Ansu Fati, Aubameyang, Memphis Depay, Martin Braithwate, and Ferran Torres play for the Catalan club.
While they may be able to sell a few before the transfer window closes, there are no guaranteed buyers for any of them. The club has also not indicated a desire to sell any of them.
As a result, signing
Apart from boardroom decisions, Barcelona's biggest downfall has been the club's financial difficulties for nearly two years. Lionel Messi left Barcelona last summer due to financial constraints.
According to ESPN, the Spanish club has a €1.3 billion debt and has sold some rights to generate funds to spend on transfers this summer. Few "superclubs" have operated in this manner in the past, especially since there is no turning back. Barcelona has already spent more than €100 million this summer, including a reported €45 million fee for Lewandowski.
Furthermore, there is no guarantee that they will be able to register him because they will need to adjust their wage bill in order to add him to their squad. Last season, they had similar issues registering Ferran Torres and Sergio Aguero, which were eventually resolved by some players taking pay cuts. The likelihood of this happening this summer is unknown.
The club also owes Frenkie de Jong €17 million in deferred wages, who will be perplexed by the recent arrivals of Raphinha and the Bayern striker. Signing Lewandowski this summer feels like Barcelona is digging their own grave, especially since he is not a necessity.
Regardless, only time will tell whether the soon-to-be 34-year-old Polish star will recover.
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