Extraordinary clause in Robert Lewandowski's Barcelona contract emerges, he could leave very soon

Robert Lewandowski will go down as one of the most prolific strikers of the modern era and he has continued to build upon that reputation and legacy at Barcelona.

The 35-year-old striker moved to the Camp Nou in the summer of 2022 for a reported initial transfer fee of €45m and put pen to paper on a four-year contract.

This followed a glittering spell with Bayern Munich, for whom the Polish international scored 344 goals in 375 games for the German side, winning the Bundesliga title on eight occasions and also the Champions League during a trophy laden time at the Allianz Arena.

The striker has continued his knack of finding the back of the net in Spain, breaking the 30 goal mark in his first season in La Liga.

So far this campaign, in his second season with Barcelona, Lewandowski has scored eight goals.

As things stand, the striker's contract is poised to run out in the summer of 2026, meaning there is still two-and-a-half years still to run on Lewandowski's deal.

It means Barca have the striker on their books until then, unless another team opts to make an offer which the Spanish side cannot refuse.

But there is also another way in which Lewandowski could leave the Camp Nou before the end of his contract.

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According to Spanish publication Sport, Barcelona have an option to end Lewandowski's contract prematurely by a year, depending on his game time achieved during his third campaign with the club.

Should Lewandowski not play in at least 55% of Barcelona's matches in that season, either through starting them or by playing at least 45 minutes in each clash, then the Camp Nou side can terminate his deal early by 12 months.

A benefit of this would be financial for the Catalan club, as Lewandowski's wages rise every year of the first three seasons of his time there, before dropping in the final year.

Should Lewandowski be released a year early, then the publication reports Barcelona would save €26m in wages the striker would be otherwise due.

Given Barca's well documented financial problems in recent years, it could prove to a sensible move if the striker, who will then be aged 36, is not regularly featuring, and save the club funds which could be spent elsewhere.