FC Porto is weighing one of the most provocative moves of the summer - bringing in Robert Lewandowski for free, the Barcelona striker whose contract is expiring. According to Florian Plettenberg, the Portuguese club has concrete interest and is already positioning itself at the front of the queue.

The 37-year-old Pole finishes his contract with Barça in June. After that he can go wherever he wants, without compensation - a scenario that for smaller clubs in Europe is almost the only way to get a player of that calibre.

Lewandowski has been sensational for Barcelona over the past four years - 119 goals and 24 assists in 190 matches, plus three La Liga titles. The numbers don't lie: even when people complain that he's no longer the Bayern Lewandowski, the Pole still knows where the net is.

This season he has put up 18 goals in 43 appearances, even though some of them came off the bench because of minor injuries. For a player in his late years, that's still an impressive product.

Porto's pull for Lewandowski isn't just financial. The chance to keep playing in a top 10 European league, plus the chance to extend his own record in the Champions League, are arguments hard to ignore. The Saudi league offers money. MLS offers comfort. Porto offers another year in real football.

The squad of Francesco Farioli recently won back the Primeira Liga title, and did so after surviving a mid-season blow - Samu Aghehowa got injured long-term. The Spanish striker will also miss the 2026 World Cup and probably the start of next season, which means Porto is in obvious search of a replacement with weight.

Deniz Gül did a solid job in Aghehowa's absence, but with Porto now in the Champions League, a higher-ranked striker is needed. Lewandowski fits the calculation perfectly - experienced, champion-grade, with the routine for big nights.

Barcelona still has the option to extend his contract. There aren't many upgrades on the market, and those that exist will be expensive. The question in Catalonia is no longer whether Lewandowski is good - it's whether the club wants to pay for a deserved retirement or for a new beginning.

Interest is also being shown by several clubs from the Saudi Pro League and MLS. Maybe some European giant will wake up and realise that the Pole can still get the job done - despite being in the twilight of his career. Still, Porto is at the moment the most serious. And the quietest.