Barcelona have been at odds with Saudi Arabian clubs lately, as the club desperately look to secure the return of former superstar Lionel Messi.
But Messi is not the high-profile Barcelona interest these Saudi clubs are pursuing. According to Mundo Deportivo, they have also courted current Barça superstar Robert Lewandowski, shortly after Al-Ittihad bagged the services of Karim Benzema.
However, as per the same report, it appears Lewandowski has turned down the lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia. He is not ready to leave Barcelona at any cost.
The striker made a great effort to leave Bayern Munich in favour of a move to Barça last summer. He wanted to become a part of this project and help Xavi Hernandez build the team around young players.
He performed quite well in his first season as well, winning the prestigious Pichichi trophy while securing La Liga and the Super Cup titles. His performances in front of goal played a key role in helping Barcelona succeed in Xavi’s first full season at the helm.
He is not ready to give this up just yet and wants to remain at Barcelona until the end of his contract in 2025.
Not to mention, Lewandowski is also attracted to the idea of potentially forming an attacking partnership with Lionel Messi. The Argentine international was close to joining Al-Hilal, but he has recently held up the negotiations, in a bid to join Barcelona.
The Catalans must still put out an offer on the table if they are to re-sign Messi. But one thing is for sure – the club will retain the services of Lewandowski ahead of the new season, perhaps even lining the Pole up alongside Messi next term.
