Hansi Flick in the dark on Robert Lewandowski future amid transfer talk as Barcelona veteran is left on the bench in Athletic Club humiliation

The celebrations following Barcelona’s emphatic 5-0 victory over Athletic Club in Jeddah have been accompanied by fresh questions regarding the hierarchy of the squad. While the Catalan giants produced a devastating attacking performance to book their place in Sunday’s final, they did so without their most recognisable goalscorer in the starting line-up.

Lewandowski, who has been the focal point of the Blaugrana attack since his arrival, was restricted to a watching brief for the majority of the encounter. Flick opted to rotate his side, a decision that was vindicated by the result but one that has inevitably fuelled speculation about the 37-year-old’s standing at the Camp Nou.

When pressed on whether Lewandowski would still be leading the line for the club next season, Flick offered a candid but non-committal response that hinted at potential changes in the summer.

“If you ask about next season, I don’t know. I’m happy with Lewandowski and his work. He’s at a good level,” Flick told reporters during his post-match press conference.

Lewandowski's contract expires at the end of the season and there has been much speculation regarding his future, with teams from Saudi Arabia said to be lining up bids for him. Meanwhile, AC Milan reportedly aim to unite him with ex-Real Madrid star Luka Modric and other teams are expected to come in for the Poland international.

The ex-Bayern Munich striker cast doubt on his future recently, saying at the end of December: "I still have time to make a decision. Right now, I don’t know where I want to play. There’s no need to think about it yet. I don’t know which direction to take, but I don’t have any pressure.

"I am not talking to the coach about interested clubs. It’s not about cutting my salary in half. A lot depends on the club’s plan and what I want."

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Flick also addressed concerns surrounding Lamine Yamal, who was on the bench in the Spanish Super Cup clash against Athletic Club on Wednesday before being introduced in the 72nd minute.

While the German coach confirmed his absence from the starting XI was down to a fitness complaint, he insisted there is no reason to worry about the teenager.

“He has had some discomfort in recent days, he had not been able to train and that is why he was not in the eleven. But he is okay,” Flick said.

The match itself saw Barcelona record a comprehensive 5-0 win over their Basque opponents. The result stands as one of the team's largest margins of victory in the current campaign. The performance came shortly after the Catalan derby against Espanyol, a match which Flick referenced in his post-match analysis.

The manager contrasted the display against Athletic Club with the team's showing in that previous fixture.

“For me always, my thought is the next game. But I appreciate what we did today because against Espanyol we hadn’t been good,” Flick stated. “I like that we play as a team, together. It’s fantastic to win 5-0. But it’s only one game and the final will be different.”

Flick also spoke at length about the defensive aspect of the performance. While the five goals garnered attention, the German coach highlighted the clean sheet as a significant factor in the result.

“Today we managed to be in control. We needed a few minutes to start working, then we played well. I’m happy because we controlled the game well. We kept the ball and I like that we defended until the end to keep a clean sheet,” Flick explained.

Barca will be eagerly awaiting the result of the semi-final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid on Thursday to determine who they will meet in the final.