FC Barcelona’s Polish striker, Robert Lewandowski, has received a formal proposal to depart the Catalan club when the current season concludes. According to a report by the Spanish newspaper “Sport”, the American club Chicago Fire is intensifying its efforts to finalize a deal for the prolific forward.
The MLS side is reportedly exerting significant pressure to convince both the player and his wife that Chicago represents the ideal destination following the expiration of his contract with Barcelona. This campaign has been ongoing since initial contacts between the parties were revealed in the latter part of last year.
A Lucrative Proposal on the Table
Sources close to Chicago Fire have confirmed that the club has already presented its first official offer to the Polish international. The proposal outlines a two-year contract featuring a substantial salary, commensurate with his expected role as the team’s marquee star.
The American club’s pursuit has been characterized by a series of deliberate steps. Anna Lewandowska, the player’s wife, visited Chicago in November of last year and was observed in a residential area of the city. This was followed by a meeting in Barcelona in early December, attended by a delegation from the MLS franchise.
The diplomatic efforts did not cease there. Recent weeks witnessed a high-profile “summit” in London, bringing together Pini Zahavi, Lewandowski’s agent, and Joe Mansueto, the owner of Chicago Fire.
Chicago possesses additional attractive factors for the Lewandowski family, notably being home to the largest Polish community in the United States. Furthermore, Chicago Fire has a history of incorporating Polish talent, having previously featured prominent players such as Piotr Nowak, Jerzy Podbrożny, and Przemysław Frankowski, alongside dual-nationality players like Gabriel Slonina and David Borybi.
Chicago Fire’s ambition appears to be instigating a genuine revolution within Major League Soccer. In recent months, the club has reportedly tested the waters with several global superstars, including attempts to sign Neymar, Kevin De Bruyne, and Mohamed Salah. More recently, its name has been linked with Bernardo Silva. The club now hopes to secure its major “summer strike” by finalizing an agreement with the Polish international.