Barcelona close in on Karim Adeyemi signing
Barcelona are loading up again.
Fresh from landing Anthony Gordon, the club are now closing in on another major attacking signing, with a deal for Borussia Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi on the brink of completion. The agreement for the Germany international is set at €22 million, with a further €7 million potentially arriving in add-ons linked to appearances and titles.
In Dallas, Joan Laporta could barely hide his satisfaction. The Barcelona president, relaxed but clearly energised by the club’s work in the market, spoke glowingly about the 22-year-old.
“We are very excited about Adeyemi. We've liked him for a while. He's dangerous and fast, and Deco handled the signing very well. The news came out when it was meant to,” Laporta told reporters, framing the move as a long-planned step rather than a reactive grab.
An attack that already contained Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres now adds Gordon and, barring late drama, Adeyemi. That kind of influx was always going to trigger questions, and one name immediately sat at the centre of the storm: Raphinha.
With Al-Hilal circling and the Saudi Pro League club reportedly readying a bid in excess of €90 million, the Brazilian’s future looked like the obvious financial pressure point for a club still wrestling with the books. On paper, it made sense: a huge fee, a crowded right flank, and a squad being reshaped under Hansi Flick.
Laporta, though, slammed that door shut.
“Raphinha is going to stay. We have absolutely no interest in him leaving Barca. He is a mainstay,” he insisted. “With Gordon and Adeyemi, I see that we are reinforcing the attack, but that doesn’t mean we are going to part ways with Raphinha, who is key for us.”
The message was clear: Barcelona want to add, not replace.
That stance carries extra weight given how the 2025-26 campaign unfolded. Laporta did not gloss over the frustration. He pointed to fitness issues as a decisive factor in a season that never quite hit the heights expected, and he singled out Raphinha’s absence at key moments as a turning point.
The Brazilian, outstanding the year before and widely regarded as one of the elite performers in his position, simply could not reach full throttle when it mattered most.
“The shame about last season is that he wasn’t able to be at full capacity during that final stretch of the League, Champions League, and Copa. The results would have been different,” Laporta reflected, a hint of regret hanging over what felt like a missed opportunity.
Now the picture looks very different. Flick suddenly has a forward line overflowing with options and personalities. Adeyemi and Gordon join a cast that already includes Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Fermin Lopez, Ferran Torres and Rony Bardghji, all battling for space in the final third.
For some coaches, that kind of congestion is a headache. For Flick, it is a challenge he has craved since walking into the job: multiple profiles, multiple solutions, relentless internal competition.
Places in the Barcelona XI will be hard-earned. Minutes will be precious. Reputations alone will not be enough.
Through all of that, Laporta’s stance on Raphinha anchors the project. The Brazilian remains central to the plan as Barcelona chase a third consecutive La Liga crown and set their sights on finally reclaiming the Champions League in 2026-27.
The squad is being sharpened, the attack rearmed. The question now is not whether Barcelona have enough firepower, but who among this arsenal will define their next era.
