Unlikely forward coming to Barcelona

Robert Lewandowski and Marcus Rashford have left, Anthony Gordon has arrived, and it now appears that Karim Adeyemi will be next. According to respected journalist Gerard Romero, the German forward has agreed to all of Barcelona's personal terms, leaving the Catalan club with only the final details of the transfer to negotiate with Borussia Dortmund. That should not prove too difficult, as the 24-year-old's transfer fee is not expected to exceed 40 million euros. Barcelona's opening offer was reportedly half that amount—20 million—largely because Adeyemi's contract expires next June.

The initial bid was rejected, but Barcelona have no intention of stopping there. The club is determined to sign the player, who scored 10 goals and provided six assists for Borussia Dortmund last season, despite barely featuring toward the end of the campaign after refusing to sign a new contract. Even so, there remains a feeling that he has never fully lived up to the immense potential he showed ever since making his professional debut with Red Bull Salzburg. Very few players possess his explosive pace. On his Champions League debut against Sevilla in 2021, he won three penalties in just 45 minutes. Fans also still remember his goal against Chelsea in 2023, when he covered 65 meters in just nine seconds with only 11 touches of the ball. During testing at Salzburg, he completed a 30-meter sprint without the ball in 3.78 seconds.

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The remaining question is how Barcelona intend to use him. Adeyemi is primarily a right winger, but that position at Camp Nou is untouchable with Lamine Yamal. Anthony Gordon has arrived as the direct replacement for Rashford on the left flank, so it appears Adeyemi could be used as a center-forward, at least until the club manages to sign Julian Álvarez or another long-term striker. He has played as a striker for Borussia Dortmund before, albeit only occasionally. However, he is clearly not a traditional No. 9. Another possibility is for him to serve as Yamal's backup on the right wing, although, despite being left-footed, Karim is also capable of playing on the opposite flank and competing with Gordon for minutes.

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This is certainly not a move without logic from Barcelona's perspective. It has long been rumored that 20-year-old Roony Bardghji could leave the club, having found opportunities hard to come by with Yamal firmly established. Ferran Torres could also depart, with his contract running until 2027 and the player himself having reportedly flirted with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

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Barcelona are now simply waiting for Borussia Dortmund's approval, although few expect any complications, especially since Karim has already informed the German club that Camp Nou is the only destination he wants. He is also represented by someone who knows exactly how to get deals done—Jorge Mendes, whose Barcelona client list already includes Lamine Yamal, Alejandro Balde, Marc Casado, and Joao Cancelo. With Adeyemi's contract set to expire next June, this is Borussia Dortmund's last realistic opportunity to receive a substantial transfer fee for him.

WORLD CUP - KNOCKOUT STAGE

Quarter-finals

Thursday

23.00: (1.60) France (4.00) Morocco (6.20)

Friday

22.00: (1.65) Spain (4.00) Belgium (5.50)

Sunday

00.00: (4.00) Norway (3.70) England (1.90)

04.00: (1.75) Argentina (3.50) Switzerland (5.50)

***odds are subject to change***