Barcelona superstar’s ‘YES’ to joining Man Utd

Carlo Garganese

Updated: 22 Oct 2025 14:31 BST
3 min read

Barcelona superstar Robert Lewandowski recently revealed he agreed to join Man Utd in the past - but could a free transfer be on the cards next summer?

Article continues under the video

Back in August, Lewandowski told BBC Sport that he had accepted an offer from the English giants in 2012 when he was starring for Borussia Dortmund.

Current ETV

Robert Lewandowski

F (C)

Barcelona

Robert Lewandowski

F (C)

Barcelona

ETV Range

€10.6M - €13M

"To Manchester United I decided and said yes," he revealed to BBC Sport. "I wanted to join Manchester United to see Alex Ferguson."

"They [Dortmund] could not sell me," he explained. "Because they knew if I stayed they could earn more money, and that I could wait maybe one or two more years. But it is true that I said yes to Manchester United."

Lewandowski to Man Utd?

Fourteen years later the transfer could be resurrected.

There are reports in Spain that United could consider signing Lewandowski on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Fabrizio Romano says there is a "concrete possibility" that Lewandowski will leave Barcelona at the end of the campaign when his contract expires.

There has been little to no attempt from Barcelona or Lewandowski to ignite contract renewal talks.

Even though he is 37, Lewandowski still remains in excellent shape and is still scoring with regularity. He has four goals in nine games this term.

United are still struggling to find a top number nine with Benjamin Sesko having a mixed start to life at Old Trafford since joining in the summer.

Romano denies that Lewandowski leaving Barcelona is a done deal but he says that there is a "concrete possibility" the veteran striker will depart.

The Italian journalist says that Lewandowski is currently focused only on Barcelona and believes that the team has every chance to win every major trophy this season.

After the new year, Romano says, Lewandowski will start focusing more on where he will be next season and making decisions on his next club.

It is widely believed that Lewandowski wants to carry on playing in Europe rather than moving to MLS or the Middle East. This offers United more hope of making a deal.

Lewandowski joined Barcelona from Bayern Munich at the age of nearly 34 in 2022 for €45 million rising too €50m.

Despite his age, he has continued to be prolific. He has scored 105 goals in 156 games for Barcelona.

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•Google Play

•App Store