Overview

• His contract runs through June 2026, and the club are not expected to activate the extension option reported to include a wage reduction.
• Barcelona plan to keep the 37-year-old for the remainder of the season, with no January exit anticipated.
• Club sources cited declining physical output and difficulty matching the team’s pressing intensity as key factors in the non-renewal decision.
• Recruitment is focused on younger, more affordable forwards, with Levante’s Etta Eyong viewed as a realistic target over higher-cost names such as Julián Álvarez.
• La Liga’s reduced salary cap for 2025/26 is tightening Barcelona’s budget for renewals and summer signings.