Manchester United has a chance to recruit Robert Lewandowski in this summer transfer window, as the Polish striker is preparing to leave Barcelona after refusing to extend his contract with a lower salary.
At the age of 37, Lewandowski still maintains an impressive scoring performance. He made a great contribution to helping Barcelona win La Liga with 14 goals and achieving an average of one goal every 118 minutes in the league.
However, Lewandowski's role under coach Hansi Flick is no longer guaranteed as before. Losing a starting spot made this veteran striker decide to seek new challenges instead of continuing to stick with Camp Nou.
The Polish striker is currently receiving attention from many clubs in Europe, Saudi Arabia and MLS. Chicago Fire is said to be trying to persuade him to move to the US, but Lewandowski has not yet made a final decision.
What is certain is that he will no longer wear the Barcelona shirt next season. This development opens up a remarkable opportunity for Man United - a team that is looking for more experience and depth to prepare for their return to the Champions League under Michael Carrick.
Although Man United's transfer priority is currently in midfield, the opportunity to own a world-class striker on a free transfer is clearly something that cannot be missed.
Benjamin Sesko impressed in the late season under Carrick, while Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo can both take on the attacking roles. However, Lewandowski will bring a completely different level and experience.
After more than a decade of playing top football at Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, Lewandowski can become an ideal role model to mentor young players at Old Trafford.
This is also not an unfamiliar model for Man United. Zlatan Ibrahimovic once had a great influence both on and off the field, Edinson Cavani became a player loved by fans, and Cristiano Ronaldo scored 27 goals in 54 matches in his second period wearing the club shirt.
Lewandowski is considered capable of creating a similar impact. In four seasons at Barcelona, he won three La Liga titles and raised the total number of national championship titles in his career to 13, spanning from Dortmund, Bayern Munich to the Catalan team.
More importantly, Lewy's desire to win has not decreased at all. That may be the quality that the "Red Devils" need most at this time, in the context that Carrick's team is aiming to return to the title race in the Premier League and Champions League.
However, this deal still has many question marks. Age, high salary and injury history make Lewandowski a potentially risky gamble, especially with the harsh intensity of competition in the Premier League. In addition, Man United still needs to prioritize budget for the midfield - the area considered the most urgent issue of the current squad.
However, with class, scoring instinct and top-level combat experience, Lewandowski can still be a short-term solution for Man United's attack if both sides find common ground this summer.
