With the aim of building on their first Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup victory, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami are currently in the process of reshaping their squad. However, one of their top targets, Robert Lewandowski, is reportedly closer to signing for another MLS club.
So, which MLS club has leapfrogged the Messi-led side in the race to sign Lewandowski?
Robert Lewandowski Unlikely To Team Up With Lionel Messi After Recent Meeting
According to Mundo Deportivo, the Chicago Fire are interested in signing Lewandowski as a free agent in the summer of 2026. To facilitate a potential transfer, Chicago Fire head coach and sporting director Gregg Berhalter met with the player in Barcelona on Sunday, Dec. 14.
During the aforesaid face-to-face meeting, Berhalter handed the player and his agent, Pini Zahavi, an initial proposal. He clarified that Chicago Fire is ready to offer the striker additional commercial revenue through potential partnerships with American brands.
However, Lewandowski is thought to be keen to wait for some months before making a final decision with his family. Nonetheless, he has been impressed with Chicago Fire’s proposal.
Lewandowski, whose Barcelona contract is set to run out in June 2026, is still considered a first-choice striker at his current club. The Inter Miami-linked player helped the Blaugrana achieve a domestic treble last season, scoring 42 goals in 52 total games along the way.
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The former Bayern Munich superstar has found the back of the net eight times and laid out two assists in 17 overall appearances for Barcelona in the ongoing 2025-26 campaign.
Barcelona President Hopeful About Reconciling With Messi
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed that Messi’s unceremonious departure from the Catalan outfit in 2021Â has left him full of regret. He also opened up on the possibility of a return for the Argentine during a recent interview with La 2 Catalunya.
“Messi decided to come to the Spotify Camp Nou with Pepe Costa (last month), and when the gatekeeper saw it was Leo, they let him in. His departure? The club comes before everything. I spoke with him on his birthday, but it didn’t have greater consequences,” Laporta said (via Barca Universal).
“As for reconciling? It is an issue that saddens me. That depends on the other party. I want to acknowledge him, because the Messi era is the most glorious in our history. He has given a lot to Barça, but Barça has also given a lot to him.”
Before leaving Barcelona, Messi contributed 672 goals and 303 assists in 778 total matches for the La Liga side. He also helped his former club lift 34 trophies between 2004 and 2021.
