As reports linking Robert Lewandowski (37, Barcelona) to Inter Miami were found to be untrue, rumors of a move to Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States centered on the Chicago Fire have become more concrete.
Transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano wrote on his social media on the 18th (Korean time) that the rumor linking Lewandowski, whose contract with Barcelona ends in June 2026, to Inter Miami was not true.
He emphasized that, like Timo Werner (29, Leipzig), Lewandowski is not included on Inter Miami's recruitment list for 2026 and that recent speculation is incorrect, effectively closing off Lewandowski's possibility of moving to Miami.
Accordingly, the shocking scenario in which Lewandowski and Lionel Messi (38, Inter Miami) would play under the same roof is unlikely to materialize for the time being. If the two were to meet, they would form the most destructive attacking duo in history.
The British broadcaster BBC reported on the 17th that Chicago Fire had held positive talks about a move for Lewandowski to MLS. Chicago is aiming for next summer to sign Lewandowski, and the player is reportedly open to moving to MLS.
Chicago placed Lewandowski on its discovery list to secure league-level priority negotiation rights. MLS's discovery list is a system that grants priority negotiation rights within the league to clubs that pre-register a specific player.
Each MLS club can place up to five players from outside the league (from other leagues, free agents, etc.) on its discovery list, and another MLS club that wants that player must pay compensation to the registering club before negotiations can proceed.
Because of this, Inter Miami is reportedly unable to have direct contact with Lewandowski. Inter Miami recently won the MLS Cup and, with Jordi Alba's retirement, currently has one designated player slot open.
If Lewandowski heads to Chicago, it would be similar to the case of Son Heung-min (33, LAFC). Son left Tottenham this summer and chose LAFC. The fact that Los Angeles has the largest Korean community in the United States was cited as a major factor.
Lewandowski likewise sees Chicago as a leading candidate because it has the largest Polish community in the United States. In fact, Lewandowski's wife, Anna, visited Chicago during a trip to the United States last month.
The combination of city, community and superstar is a formula already proven in Son Heung-min's settlement in Los Angeles. For that reason, Chicago's approach can be considered strategic. The Chicago club is said to have managed Lewandowski as a core target for at least six months.
Romano added that Lewandowski is focusing only on the season at Barcelona before deciding his 2026 destination, emphasizing that discussions about the future have been put off.
Since joining Barcelona, Lewandowski has scored 109 goals in 164 official matches and experienced two La Liga titles. This season he has shown continued finishing with eight goals in 17 matches, and the team is leading the league.
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