Barcelona: £19m Karim Adeyemi challenging £69m Anthony Gordon for role

Karim Adeyemi arrived at Barcelona for a fraction of the price paid for Anthony Gordon, but his explosive start has already turned what appeared to be a clear left-wing hierarchy into a genuine selection battle for Hansi Flick.

Barcelona committed around £69m including add-ons to sign Gordon from Newcastle United during the summer, making the England international one of their headline acquisitions.

Adeyemi followed from Borussia Dortmund for only around £19m up front, with a further £6m potentially due in variables.

The expectation was not necessarily that those two deals would immediately create an equal fight for one position.

Gordon started strongly and quickly demonstrated why Barcelona had invested so heavily in him, while Adeyemi appeared capable of providing explosive depth and competition across the front line.

Several weeks into the campaign, that distinction is becoming much less obvious.

Adeyemi has adapted rapidly to Spanish football, with his pace, direct running and unpredictability increasingly difficult for Flick to leave out.

His performance in Barcelona's 7-2 victory over Racing Santander provided the clearest evidence yet.

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Adeyemi has turned Flick's rotation into a genuine selection battle

Adeyemi did not need to score against Racing to dominate the match.

The Germany international attempted eight shots, completed six dribbles, created four chances and won two penalties, while also registering an assist.

It was the type of performance that offered Barcelona something different from Gordon rather than simply an alternative version of the same winger.

Flick has been impressed enough to publicly underline his faith in the 24-year-old.

"He is very quick, but I don't know if he is the quickest player I have coached. Alphonso Davies is quite similar in that regard," Flick said.

"He is a very good guy, a good person. The squad likes and respects him. His performances make things easier.

"In Germany, he wasn't going through a good moment and he needed a change. I'm happy that he came. I know his quality. I back him 100%. I trust him."

That confidence matters because Gordon has hardly given Flick a reason to move away from him.

The former Newcastle winger also made an immediate impact following his move to Catalonia and has already demonstrated his ability to create chances for a Barcelona attack that has started the season at a remarkable pace.

This is therefore not a case of one expensive signing failing and a cheaper player replacing him.

Instead, Adeyemi's performances have accelerated the competition much sooner than Barcelona may have anticipated.

Flick has already shown a willingness to alternate the pair, and his long-standing interest in Adeyemi helps explain why the German was never viewed merely as depth.

Barcelona's £19m signing is already outperforming expectations

The contrast in transfer fees makes Adeyemi's emergence particularly notable.

Barcelona fought off competition to secure Gordon in a deal worth around £69m including bonuses after the England international's impressive spell in the Premier League.

Adeyemi represented a much smaller financial gamble.

His initial €22m fee could eventually rise to €29m, but even the maximum figure remains far below the package agreed with Newcastle for Gordon.

There was also an element of rehabilitation involved.

Adeyemi arrived after a difficult period at Dortmund, with Flick acknowledging that his compatriot needed a change of environment.

Barcelona appear to have given him exactly that.

His speed naturally suits a side built to attack space quickly, while his ability to beat defenders adds another way of destabilising opponents when Barcelona's passing game becomes crowded.

The wider development of Flick's attack has helped too.

Raphinha's increasingly prominent use through the middle means Barcelona can accommodate two specialist left-wing options without necessarily reducing either player to a marginal role.

That flexibility also makes direct comparisons between Gordon and Adeyemi less straightforward.

Gordon offers Premier League-proven intensity, creativity and versatility, while Adeyemi's acceleration and one-on-one threat can alter the rhythm of a game almost instantly.

For Flick, that is a welcome problem.

Barcelona did not spend £69m on Gordon for him to become expendable after a handful of matches, nor does Adeyemi's strong opening mean that the starting position has permanently changed hands.

What has changed is the assumption that there was an obvious first choice and an obvious deputy.

At £19m up front, Adeyemi was supposed to increase Barcelona's options.

His first weeks in Spain suggest he may have done considerably more than that.