Robert Lewandowski close to surpassing Ronaldinho at Barcelona thanks to impressive goal-scoring season
Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski is closing in on surpassing the legendary Ronaldinho's goal tally for the Blaugrana. The former Borussia Dortmund forward's numbers have been impressive since he joined the Catalan outfit from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022 for a reported €45 million.
The Poland international is ranked 22nd on the list of all-time goal scorers for the club, having netted 93 goals in 133 matches across competitions. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Brazilian scored 94 times in 207 outings in all competitions.
Lewandowski will have the opportunity to level Ronaldinho and potentially get ahead of him in midweek. La Blaugrana are set to face Benfica at home for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 draw on Tuesday, March 11.
With Barcelona only leading 1-0 at the moment, Hansi Flick and company will be needing goals to seal the tie. They will be looking at Lewandowski for inspiration, a player who did not find the net in the reverse fixture.
If he does score, he would be level on goals not only with Ronaldinho but also with Jose Mari Bakero. The Polish striker will close in on other iconic players like Pedro Rodriguez (99 goals), Juan Manuel Asensi (101), and Neymar (105), who are next on the list.
It will be interesting to see how far ahead he gets on this list, with the 36-year-old's contract running out in the summer of 2026. There have been rumors suggesting that he may leave the club once the season is complete.
Robert Lewandowski's agent says he will stay at Barcelona till 2026
Despite reports linking Robert Lewandowski with a move to Saudi Arabia, the striker's agent Pini Zahavi has come out and shut down these rumors. He told Mundo Deportivo (via Barca Blaugranes):
"Talking about offers from the Saudi League is not true, we have not received any official offer and no Saudi club has contacted us regarding the player."
“Lewandowski is happy at Barcelona and will remain with the team next season 100 percent. We have a contract with the club and we respect it until its end."
Lewandowski has had a strong season so far, having scored 34 goals in 38 appearances across competitions.
Barcelona lack another out-and-out number nine. They have been linked with the top attackers, such as Newcastle United's Alexander Isak. However, the club's financial situation may restrict them from pursuing such a talent this summer.
