Barcelona Targets Karim Adeyemi for Summer Rebuild

Barcelona’s summer rebuild has a new name at the top of the whiteboard: Karim Adeyemi.

The Spanish champions have lodged an offer with Borussia Dortmund for the 24-year-old forward, a source has told ESPN, as they accelerate plans to reshape an attack that has already lost some of its biggest profiles.

Adeyemi on the radar

Adeyemi is under contract at Dortmund until 2027, but Barcelona believe there is an opening. They are hopeful the German club will sanction a cut-price sale in this window, aware that the player’s versatility across the front line fits exactly what Hansi Flick has asked for.

A loose agreement over personal terms is already in place between Barça and Adeyemi, according to the same source. The hard part now is Dortmund. Talks between the clubs are ongoing, with the deal described as “not imminent” and with “nothing signed.” The interest is concrete; the finish line is not.

Crucially for Barcelona’s planning, the Adeyemi move is not the centrepiece of their attacking rebuild. It runs alongside it.

No. 9 hunt continues

The club’s primary target for the No. 9 role remains Atlético Madrid’s Julián Álvarez. President Joan Laporta has publicly confirmed a bid for the Argentine, who has already made it clear he wants to leave Atlético. That pursuit continues on its own track, with Adeyemi viewed as a complementary piece rather than an alternative.

This all stems from a clear directive. Back in March, ESPN revealed that Barça were ready to shake up their forward line at Flick’s request, despite back-to-back LaLiga titles. The message from the coach was simple: success had arrived, but the attack needed fresh legs, fresh profiles, fresh chaos.

Departures open the door

The churn has already begun. Robert Lewandowski, the reference point of the front line, has left for Chicago Fire on a free transfer. Marcus Rashford’s loan from Manchester United has ended, sending him back to Old Trafford. Ferran Torres has entered the final year of his contract, his future unresolved, while Roony Bardghji is another who could depart before the window closes.

Those exits strip experience and goals from the squad. They also create space — tactical and financial — for a different type of forward.

Barcelona have already moved decisively once, securing England international Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United in a €70 million deal. Gordon joins Lamine Yamal and Raphinha in a wide department loaded with talent but still light on depth across a long season.

Adeyemi, in that context, is less a luxury and more a puzzle piece.

A different profile

The Dortmund attacker can operate anywhere across the front three. That flexibility is central to Barça’s interest. While Lamine Yamal offers invention from the right, Raphinha brings directness and work rate, and Gordon thrives on aggressive, vertical runs, Adeyemi adds another angle: explosive pace, a willingness to attack space, and the capacity to shift from wing to centre at a moment’s notice.

He built his reputation at Red Bull Salzburg, a club that specialises in high-intensity forwards, before joining Dortmund in 2022. Since then, he has made 146 appearances for the Bundesliga side, scoring 36 goals. Last season he hit 10 goals in 39 games in all competitions, numbers that hint at end product but also leave room for growth.

For Barcelona, that growth potential is part of the attraction. Adeyemi is established enough to contribute immediately, young enough to be moulded under Flick.

Dortmund hold the cards – for now

Dortmund, though, are under no contractual pressure to sell. With Adeyemi tied down until 2027, the German club can afford to play hardball over any fee. Barcelona, still juggling financial constraints and squad needs, are trying to thread a needle: secure a player they like, at a price that does not compromise their wider plans.

So the negotiation drags on. An offer is in. An agreement with the player is sketched out. But the decisive yes from Dortmund has not arrived.

Barcelona’s attack is being rebuilt in real time. Gordon is through the door, Álvarez remains the marquee chase, and Adeyemi has emerged as the next key target. How many of those moves they can actually land will go a long way to deciding whether Flick starts the new season with a retooled, multi-layered front line — or a set of questions that the transfer window never quite answered.