Why Inter Miami Cannot Move for Robert Lewandowski Despite Fresh DP Slot

Despite having a Designated Player (DP) slot open for the 2026 season, Inter Miami cannot make a move for Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski.

Chicago Fire hold exclusive rights to negotiate with Lewandowski, making them the favourites to sign the 37-year-old.

Meanwhile, the Blaugrana have already begun searching for a worthy replacement. According to reports, Barcelona could pay €90m for Lewandowski’s replacement.

MLS Discovery Rights Hurt Inter Miami in Lewandowski Race

Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski is out of contract in June 2026, and multiple teams across Saudi Arabia and America are interested in signing him.

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, who won the 2025 MLS Cup, have been mentioned as one of the leading contenders.

Jordi Alba retired after winning the Cup, opening up a DP spot. If the Herons could allocate the vacant DP slot to Lewandowski, they could offer him massive wages without exceeding the salary cap.

https://twitter.com/Intermiamicfhub/status/2000920894156452345

However, Inter Miami cannot directly negotiate with Lewandowski, as Chicago Fire have the Polish striker on their Discovery List.

According to the MLS rulebook, no other club in the league can now sign Lewandowski without paying Chicago a fee. Naturally, this also rules out pre-transfer negotiations.

Why Chicago Fire Are the Frontrunners to Sign Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski has been on Chicago Fire’s radar for at least six months. So, they moved early and got him on their Discovery List, emerging as the frontrunners to sign him.

However, this is not the only factor working in their favour.

Chicago is home to a thriving Polish community – the largest in the USA. Signing Poland’s record scorer would allow them to reach that demographic. Lewandowski is also likely to embrace the opportunity to be closer to his community.

According to the BBC, the striker’s wife, Anna Lewandowska, visited Chicago during her trip to the States in November.

| BREAKING: Chicago Fire have held positive talks with Robert Lewandowski about an MLS move.

The player is OPEN to it, and wages aren’t expected to be an issue.

[@NizaarKinsella] pic.twitter.com/FU00Cs8jjs

— Managing Barça (@ManagingBarca) December 16, 2025

Having seen Inter Miami’s meteoric rise since signing Lionel Messi, Chicago Fire are eager to try that model themselves.

Lewandowski is believed to be open to the move, and wages are unlikely to be an issue. The former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich striker is currently on a net €240,385/week contract at Barcelona.

Lewandowski has scored over 700 senior goals for club and country. At Dortmund, he scored 103 goals in 187 appearances before switching to Bayern Munich. He played his best football for the Bavarian side, scoring 344 goals in 375 games.

At Barcelona, he has found the net 109 times in 164 games. He scored 19 league goals in 2025 as Barcelona became LaLiga’s highest-scoring team.

For Poland, Lewandowski has bagged 88 goals in 163 appearances.