Barcelona has reached an agreement with Adeyemi

Karim Adeyemi could become a Barça player very soon. The club has already reached a verbal agreement with the player and is in the midst of negotiations with Borussia Dortmund to settle on the final transfer fee, which could reach 30-40 million euros according to the German press, in a deal first reported by journalist Gerard Romero on “Jijantes.”

Adeyemi is a specific request from coach Hansi Flick, who has declared himself a staunch admirer of the player and has formally requested his signing from the sports management team led by Deco. The Barça coach believes that the Dortmund player’s attributes are a perfect fit for the style of play he has implemented at Barça.

Adeyemi, whose name has been linked to Barça in various transfer windows since his time at Salzburg, is under contract through June 30, 2027—a situation that forces the German club to sit down and negotiate if it does not want the player to enter the final year of his contract and risk leaving on a free transfer.

A bullet in attack

His speed makes him a “nightmare” for opposing defenses: in his Champions League debut against Sevilla in 2021—while still with Salzburg—he drew three penalties in 45 minutes.

In addition to being a speed demon, he’s incredibly direct. His goal against Chelsea in the Champions League in 2023 remains a memorable moment: he covered 65 meters in 9 seconds with 11 touches.

He left Bayern due to a lack of discipline

Adeyemi’s path to the elite is, to say the least, unusual. His mother is Romanian and his father is Nigerian… but he was born in Munich. In fact, his father played in Africa. “He says he could have had a great career in Europe. However, he was too old when he arrived here at age 30, so I became his project,” he reveals.

Adeyemi got his start at TSV Forstenried, but in 2010 he made the leap to Bayern. However, he left in 2012—at age 10—through the “back door.” Accounts vary. In Germany, they point to repeated disciplinary issues, but Adeyemi has always defended himself: “My teammates’ parents were jealous of me.”

Benched… for not studying

In 2012, at age 10, he joined SpVgg Unterhaching, which became his personal “lifeline.” “He didn’t just learn to play soccer; he also realized what it takes to succeed,” his mother, Alexandra, acknowledges in statements published on the website ‘Wett Freunde.’

President Manfred Schwabl was the key. He made him study and commit to his “household chores.” Otherwise… he wouldn’t play. “He has incredible speed, a lethal left foot, and a cool head in front of the goal,” Schwabl emphasizes.

Germany's most expensive youth player

Chelsea, Atlético, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich itself came calling while he was playing for Unterhaching, but Adeyemi chose to move to Salzburg in 2018. The figures were not made public, but the €3.3 million transfer fee still makes him the most expensive youth player in the history of German football.

Salzburg said 'no' to Barcelona

Adeyemi continued to attract suitors in Austria. In fact, in 2020, he extended his contract with Salzburg until 2024, despite interest from Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool, and Barcelona—the latter reportedly offering up to €15 million to sign him.

To Dortmund for €30 million

His outstanding season with the 'Bulls'—in which he finished as the top scorer in Austria with 19 goals—earned him a move to Borussia Dortmund in 2022 for €30 million, filling the void left by Haaland's departure to Manchester City.

He runs 30 meters in 3.78 seconds

"Speed is my greatest strength," Adeyemi often boasts. And rightly so; the forward was capable of covering 30 meters in 3.78 seconds during his time at Salzburg. "He possesses extraordinary speed and dynamism. He is fearless and looks to take players on one-on-one," noted Michael Feichtenbeiner, his coach with the German U17 team, speaking to the 'Süddeutsche Zeitung'.

Flick handed him his Germany debut.

He has represented *Die Mannschaft* at every youth level. In 2019, he received the Fritz Walter Medal as the top talent under the age of 17, and in 2021, 'Hansi' Flick gave him his senior team debut against Armenia—a match Adeyemi capped off by scoring the final goal in a 6–0 victory.

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