Barcelona Closing in on Karim Adeyemi Deal

Barcelona are closing in on Karim Adeyemi, and this time it feels like the deal that finally sticks.

After an opening bid of around €20 million was pushed back by Borussia Dortmund, negotiations have accelerated. The two clubs are now ironing out the last details of an agreement worth an initial €22m, with a further €7m in performance-related add-ons. Dortmund have also secured a percentage of any future profit if Barça sell the forward on, a nod to both Adeyemi’s age and his upside.

For Barcelona, this is not a luxury signing. It is part of a deliberate reset.

Adeyemi is expected to be confirmed in the coming days as the Spanish champions’ second major attacking arrival of the summer, following the €70m capture of Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United. Two wide forwards, two significant investments, but one clear message: Hansi Flick wants his frontline rebuilt in his image.

Crucially, club sources insist these moves do not close the door on a new No. 9. The plan to bring in Julián Álvarez from Atlético Madrid remains on the table as the long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who has already departed for Chicago Fire FC on a free transfer. Adeyemi and Gordon are the wings; Álvarez, if Atlético can be persuaded, would be the spearhead.

Flick’s fingerprints are all over this shift. He knows Adeyemi well, having handed him his Germany debut during his spell in charge of the national team. Back in March, the coach made it clear internally that he wanted a full attacking overhaul. The board has started to deliver.

The exits tell their own story. Lewandowski, the reference point of the attack, gone. Marcus Rashford’s loan spell ended with his return to Manchester United. Ferran Torres has entered the final year of his contract and could yet be moved on. Roony Bardghji, another promising option, may also leave before the window closes.

So the shape of the new front line is emerging. Gordon already in. Adeyemi almost there. Álvarez still being chased. Around them, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Torres remain in place, at least for now, offering Flick a blend of youth, experience and tactical flexibility.

Adeyemi fits that brief perfectly. He can operate across all three attacking positions, stretching defences with his pace, driving at full-backs from either flank or attacking the space through the middle. It is the kind of versatility that allows Flick to switch systems within games without dipping into his bench.

His route to Camp Nou has not been straightforward. Adeyemi first burst onto the European scene at Red Bull Salzburg, where his direct running and eye for goal made him one of the most coveted young forwards in Europe. Dortmund moved in 2022, betting on his potential to explode in the Bundesliga.

Across 146 appearances for the German club, he has scored 36 goals, including 10 in 39 games in all competitions last season. The numbers are solid rather than spectacular, but the raw tools – acceleration, aggression, willingness to press – are exactly what Barcelona’s new coach wants high up the pitch.

This is not the slow, possession-heavy Barça of old. Flick wants intensity. He wants runners. He wants forwards who defend as ferociously as they attack.

If Barcelona now complete Adeyemi, push Gordon into rhythm and somehow prise Álvarez from Atlético, the front line that starts the season will barely resemble the one that ended the last. The question is no longer whether Barça are rebuilding their attack.

It is how quickly this new, faster, sharper version can catch fire.