Even though Lewandowski is getting close to turning 36, he seems dedicated to the final two years of his Barcelona deal. The striker is also on course to record his lowest goal tally since 2010-11 – his first year after leaving Poland. In his “heart and head” it doesn’t make sense leaving for the likes of Major League Soccer or the Saudi Pro League.

A goal return of just 13 goals in 29 La Liga appearances (20 in all competitions) is a sudden drop-off for Lewandowski and has come as a surprise for a player whose goalscoring instinct seems to have got better since his 30th birthday – mirroring the careers of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Karim Benzema. He has been linked with a sunset move to less competitive leagues as a result.

Lewandowski told SPORT BILD: “Saying goodbye [to Barcelona] is definitely out of the question for me [this summer]. I feel physically good again now. I had physical problems in the first half of the season. Things got better in 2024. As long as I continue to feel as good as I do now and notice in training that no one is outrunning me, I want to keep playing. As of today, I say: This will continue for at least two more years. Only when I notice that I am no longer physically at top level and am in pain would I start to think. That’s not the case.

“I haven’t bothered with [Saudi Arabia] for a second so far. Neither Saudi Arabia nor to the USA. That doesn’t make sense at the moment. At some point it’s about what my heart and my head say. When I’m 38 years old and the pain comes, I have to ask myself: Do I even want to continue? But I don’t want to plan that far yet. Currently I say: I can definitely play at this highest level by 2026.”

With Real Madrid leading La Liga by a wide margin and Champions League participation virtually certain, the only thing left to gain is pride. With Xavi sticking on, Barcelona will look to close off the season strong and head into the summer optimistic about 2024–25. The only games left are against Girona, Real Sociedad, Almeria, Rayo Vallecano, and Sevilla following Monday’s matchup with Valencia.