Veteran forward is set to depart at the end of the window and Barcelona are invested in signing a new striker
The summer transfer window is approaching, and Barcelona will have to decide the long-term successor to Robert Lewandowski as their top striker.
The veteran forward is now 37 and set to depart when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Since arriving from Bayern Munich in 2022, Lewandowski has been a reliable source of goals for Barcelona, scoring 115 times in 179 appearances. But with the Poland international turning 38 in August, the club’s hierarchy are understandably now looking to the future.
Barcelona’s plan has been to allow Lewandowski’s deal to run down, although senior figures at the club are yet to make a final call. They still intend to review performances across the rest of the campaign before confirming their decision.
One internal option to replace Lewandowski is Ferran Torres. The 25-year-old has been given opportunities in a central role this season as the club explore whether he can lead the line in the long term. Torres, who joined from Manchester City and is contracted until 2027, has scored 16 goals in 35 appearances in all competitions this season.
He impressed earlier in the season but his recent form has raised doubts about whether he can become Barcelona’s undisputed No 9. Torres has found the net only once in La Liga since the beginning of 2026 and has three goals in his last 18 matches across all competitions.
As a result, Barcelona’s recruitment department have also been exploring options in the transfer market. Sporting director Deco is known to admire Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez, considered one of the standout candidates available.
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Another name previously considered by Barcelona’s recruitment department was Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane. But the England captain is an unlikely target, partly because Barcelona, especially sporting director Deco, are reluctant to invest heavily in players over 30.
Further down the list there are some more options including Galatasaray’s Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen and Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush. No concrete moves have been made by Barcelona’s recruitment department considering either player.
One factor that could pose a challenge for Barcelona come the summer is their financial position. The Catalan club are still struggling with the 1:1 rule, La Liga’s regulations that limit club spending on player and staff wages to only at least the amount of revenue they generate.
Early this season, Barcelona struggled to register new signings Marcus Rashford and Joan Garcia because they had reached the cap. They didn’t manage those registrations until the eve of their first league game, and even then were helped significantly by goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen sustaining a long-term injury, allowing them to leverage a clause in La Liga’s rules and use his salary space to register Garcia.
Barcelona have received a significant boost around the 1:1 rule ahead of the summer transfer window after La Liga confirmed the club’s squad spending limit has risen by almost €100m. Their salary cap now stands at €433m, a considerable increase from the €351m limit at the start of the season.
However, their total wage bill currently stands at €510m, which means they will still need to offload players in the summer before registering new ones. Transfer fees are also a separate issue, with the club still limited in what they can afford.
