Barcelona have gotten rather used to asking their players to take wage cuts, or at least to load some of their salary into the second halves of their contracts. Despite President Joan Laporta claiming they will be able to operate as normal in the summer transfer market, that is to say, without being over their salary limit, they may well do the same with Robert Lewandowski.
According to Sport, Lewandowski intends to see out his contract with the club, which runs until 2025 with an option for a further year. He would be 37 at the end of it, but he feels he has sufficient fitness for it, in spite of his lax pressing of late.
With his salary increasing year on year since his move from Bayern Munich, the following two years will see Lewandowski stretch out ahead of their squad as their highest earner. The Catalan daily say that as a result, they may ask Lewandowski to take a wage cut in the final two years of his deal, relying on their good relations with agent Pini Zahavi.
Barcelona cannot risk upsetting Lewandowski, nor do they have the power to get rid of him without his consent. His place as their star striker is under threat though. Somebody is fuelling consistent rumours of Saudi Arabian interest in Lewandowski, while the arrival of Vitor Roque and his lack of goals recently increase the pressure on the Polish hitman.
