Barcelona land German winger in cut-price €22m deal

Barcelona have secured the signature of Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund for a bargain €22 million, with the Catalan club betting that a contract set to expire in 2027 represented a market opportunity they could not ignore. The 24-year-old arrives in Spain having registered 36 goals and 25 assists in 146 appearances for Dortmund — numbers that, on their own, would rarely attract the interest of a La Liga giant.

The new signing heads into the 2026-27 La Liga campaign with the chance to shine under a manager who genuinely believes in him — and who knows his profile better than most.

Flick the driving force behind the surprise move

Manager Hansi Flick is the undeniable architect of Barcelona's surprise pursuit of the German international. Flick handed Adeyemi his national team debut in a World Cup qualifier against Armenia in September 2021, a game in which the winger scored in an emphatic 6-0 victory. He also named him in Germany's 2022 World Cup campaign in Qatar, though Adeyemi did not feature from the bench in any of the three group-stage matches.

Adeyemi made three appearances during qualification for this summer's tournament but was ultimately omitted from Julian Nagelsmann's final 26-man squad. The move to Barcelona now offers the 24-year-old the chance to work under a coach who appreciates what he brings — a dynamic, pace-driven wide player tailor-made for Flick's tactical system.

The complication is competition. Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Anthony Gordon will each expect to be regular starters, blocking Adeyemi's route to a starting berth.

Impact role could work to Adeyemi's advantage

Many of Adeyemi's most effective recent displays for Dortmund came off the bench, and he may initially be forced into a similar role in Spain. That could suit him, allowing him to fly under the radar rather than carry the burden of being Barcelona's main man. His versatility across the front line should naturally create minutes as the season progresses.

Loanee Marcus Rashford performed a comparable role last season and finished with 14 goals and 14 assists in 49 appearances. If Adeyemi replicates those numbers in his debut campaign, he would be well placed to make a bigger impact further down the line. Patience will be a virtue this term — but accepting an impact role could pay dividends later.

Tough love may bring out the best in Adeyemi

Flick's man-management could be the key to unlocking Adeyemi, provided the winger takes on board what he is told. He was criticised last December for reacting badly to being substituted in a 2-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach, and Flick will not tolerate similar antics.

The manager was unimpressed with Adeyemi's debut in a recent friendly against Birmingham City. The German winger was withdrawn at half-time alongside three other new teammates after failing to complete a dribble and losing possession nine times.

"Karim — some things he did were not that good," Flick said. "I think he has more potential to show, but he is still in the first week of training, so that's normal. I've seen a better Karim in training with his speed and finishing, but he has a lot of potential and can give us a lot."

Adeyemi showed more promise in subsequent friendlies against Nottingham Forest and Udinese, though elements of his game remain a work in progress. Flick's appetite for pace on the flanks means Adeyemi's speed will be a useful asset as Barcelona chase silverware on multiple fronts.

There is precedent for late blooming at the club: Raphinha was 25 when he joined from Leeds United with a point to prove. Adeyemi still has time on his side, and working under Flick at Barcelona could be the catalyst for him to finally live up to his billing.