Flick behind Barcelona's change of plan in the Adeyemi deal, and the German star responds swiftly
A different option for the left flank
A Spanish report claimed today, Sunday, that Karim Adeyemi's move to Barcelona was accelerated during the summer window, landing a full year ahead of schedule.
According to Spanish newspaper "Sport", Barcelona had tracked the German international winger for a long time. Hansi Flick admired him greatly and drove the deal through.
Flick knows the player's qualities inside out from their time together across Germany's various age groups, and he understood just how much potential Adeyemi carries.
Waiting until the end of his Borussia Dortmund contract in the summer of 2027 would have handed Barcelona a major strategic and financial win.
Dortmund, though, were alert to Adeyemi's plans for the following season. They warned him plainly: stay without renewing a contract that was running down, and the consequences would follow.
Refuse to renew, the club told him, and he faced a strong chance of a season in the stands or almost no minutes at all. That would have dented his career and stunted his development.
Ferran Torres's exit to Paris Saint-Germain opened the door further, leaving a gap in Barcelona's front line.
Reading the situation, the Catalan club moved to sign the player early and opened talks with Borussia Dortmund. With just one year left on his deal, the price came down, and the move was done.
Every party walked away happy. Adeyemi joined Barcelona a year ahead of schedule.
Seizing the opportunity
Barcelona's gamble has paid off in the opening months of the campaign. The German winger is making the most of the minutes Flick hands him, and he has rediscovered the zip and pace that deserted him last season at Dortmund.
Off the bench, Adeyemi has become a trump card. His pace and his knack for making a difference set him apart from Gordon, a more measured and tactically disciplined option.
He gives the team something different too, whether as a substitute or from the start, specifically on the left flank, where he injects a touch of chaos and unexpected movement into the attack.
The numbers back up his flying start ahead of the Alavés clash. Across 13 appearances totalling 452 minutes, he has scored 4 goals, two in LaLiga and two in the UEFA Champions League, and chipped in with 3 assists, all of them domestic.
