Hansi Flick’s Past Comments Explain Barcelona’s Latest Transfer Target

Barcelona’s desire to bolster in attack is no secret, nor is their wish to sign Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez. While their ambitious pursuit of the Argentina international is ongoing, reports suggest the La Liga champions are now working on another new recruit.

As first revealed by Gerard Romero, the latest player to enter Barcelona’s sights is Borussia Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi, with talks underway to bring the 24-year-old to Camp Nou this summer.

Fabrizio Romano then confirmed that Barcelona have already reached an agreement over personal terms with Adeyemi, whose current contract has just 12 months left to run. The Germany international has communicated his desire to leave and is not planning to sign an extension.

Should Barcelona strike a deal with Dortmund, Adeyemi would become the club’s second attacking recruit of the summer, following the big-money arrival of Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United. Plans to land Álvarez’s signature after the World Cup are still ongoing.

Links between Barcelona and Adeyemi are relatively new, but comments from Hansi Flick from back in 2021 appear to explain exactly why he is pushing for this deal.

What Has Flick Said About Adeyemi?

Hansi Flick, Karim Adeyemi — Flick gave Karim Adeyemi (right) his Germany debut in 2021. | Tom Weller/picture alliance/Getty Images

Flick and Adeyemi do have history together.

It was the current Barcelona boss that handed a 19-year-old Adeyemi his first appearance for the German national team in 2021—a decision which was met with significant surprise at the time. While Adeyemi, then of Red Bull Salzburg, was widely hailed as a superstar of the future, few felt he was ready for the jump up to international duty.

When pressed on his decision to turn to Adeyemi five years ago, Flick did not shy away from explaining exactly why he wanted the young winger in his squad.

“He has tremendous pace and a very good first touch,” Flick said in 2021. “His greatest strengths are especially in one-on-one situations, and at the start of the season he had already scored a lot of goals. He’s an excellent attacker.

“We’ve been watching Karim Adeyemi for a long time. I also faced him as Bayern [Munich] coach against Salzburg, so I know the potential he has. Offensively, he’s a player who can make the difference.”

How Would Adeyemi Fit in at Barcelona?

While Adeyemi has enjoyed a solid time at Dortmund—36 goals and 25 assists in 146 appearances—most would admit he has not yet lived up to the potential he showed earlier in his career. That being said, the attributes that impressed Flick all those years ago have not disappeared.

Adeyemi, who came through at Salzburg as a central striker but has spent most of his Dortmund days as a winger, boasts awe-inspiring agility and thrives on beating defenders—skills that would help him fit in at Barcelona.

His ability to play across a fluid forward line, as is the case with Gordon and last season’s loanee, Marcus Rashford, will undoubtedly work in Adeyemi’s favor, even if he is seen largely as a squad player.

The ongoing pursuit of Álvarez shows Adeyemi is not viewed as the starting striker, but there is undoubtedly a need for a reliable backup, and the same goes out wide. His usual position on the right wing is occupied by Lamine Yamal, while the combination of Gordon and Raphinha on the left means any new arrival would likely be viewed as cover. In Adeyemi’s case, he can offer that for all three positions.

His expiring contract means Adeyemi is likely to be available for an affordable price. No figure has been mentioned but Dortmund’s weak negotiating stance means they will likely accept a cut-price fee to avoid losing the 24-year-old for free. Barcelona’s financial issues are nowhere near as severe as they used to be, but there can be no ignoring the chance to snap up a potential bargain like Adeyemi.

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