As if that weren’t sufficient incentive to pursue a deal, the legendary figure in question would also be available on a free transfer. That’s unless something dramatic unfolds at the Camp Nou before the end of the current campaign. Barcelona are on track to allow Robert Lewandowski to depart for nothing when his contract runs out at the end of June. Yet the Pole, who boasts 716 goals in 1,029 professional appearances, continues to demonstrate he remains capable of competing at the highest level, contributing 17 goals and four assists in 41 appearances this season.
Carrick found himself short of options up front when summer signing Benjamin Sesko picked up an injury at the end of 2025. Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo stepped in as makeshift strikers during that spell, though neither is perhaps the quality United would ideally wish to depend upon in that position.
Lewandowski’s expiring contract means United could secure a pre-contract agreement to sign the player immediately should they wish. The fact Poland will be absent from World Cup 2026 is a further advantage, allowing for a complete pre-season under Carrick, or whoever ultimately takes permanent charge at Old Trafford.
Even as he nears his 38th birthday in August, Lewandowski holds considerable attraction on a reduced-price arrangement, even if merely to guide the progression of a young Sesko for a season or so. The former Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund talisman came within touching distance of joining United back in 2012 and has said he gave the transfer his approval before being told it was off.
“To Manchester United I decided and said yes,” he told BBC Sport last year. “I wanted to join Manchester United, to see Alex Ferguson.
“They [Dortmund] could not sell me because they knew if I stayed they could earn more money, and that I could wait maybe one or two more years. But it is true that I said yes to Manchester United.”
He continued: “But when I am looking back [having] played for Bayern Munich, Dortmund and now Barcelona I have to say I am very happy with my career. I don’t have this kind of feeling that I missed something, because every move or decision… I made because I wanted it.”
There may be a few fingers crossed at Old Trafford that the veteran isn’t finished wanting to add to his collection of elite clubs. And the recent resurgence witnessed under Carrick could prove sufficient to entice him should United pick up the phone.
It comes as little surprise Barcelona are prepared to let Lewandowski go given his advancing years and astronomical wages. Details regarding the striker’s salary differ as they have reportedly risen over time but Barca’s top earner is believed to pocket somewhere in the region of £400,000 and £500,000 a week.
Lewandowski would need to slash those expectations by at least half before any negotiations could even begin. Yet should he prove willing to accept a considerable reduction in pay, a transfer more than a decade in the making could still prove highly beneficial for everyone involved.