Barcelona transfer news: after Anthony Gordon signing, Blaugrana table offer for second summer winger

Barcelona have submitted a formal offer to Borussia Dortmund for striker Karim Adeyemi, with the German international understood to be open to a move to Spain, according to journalists Fabrizio Romano and Gerard Romero.

The Catalan club have already announced the signing of Anthony Gordon and are continuing to pursue Julian Alvarez as their priority centre-forward target this summer.

The Adeyemi move represents a third significant piece of attacking business, with the exact figures not yet disclosed and Dortmund currently weighing up their response.

The pursuit is understood to be heavily driven by manager Hansi Flick, who gave the 24-year-old his first senior Germany cap in 2021 and took him to the 2022 World Cup. That personal connection is said to be central to Barcelona's confidence that a deal can be reached.

Adeyemi as competition for Raphinha and a solution to injury concerns

Adeyemi is a versatile attacker capable of playing as a striker or on either flank. His arrival would create competition in Barcelona's wide areas, where Raphinha currently owns the left and Lamine Yamal the right, with Roony Bardghji as backup on the right.

Gordon, signed for around £69m, can operate on the left but could also be deployed as a centre-forward should a deal for Alvarez fail to materialise, with Ferran Torres as his backup in that scenario.

Adeyemi is not at the level of Raphinha or Yamal as a first choice, but he represents a valuable insurance option. Yamal has improved his fitness recently but is not entirely out of the woods, while Raphinha has suffered recurring physical problems throughout his time in Catalonia.

Last season alone, the Brazilian sustained five muscular injuries, predominantly to his thigh, with the issue even affecting his World Cup campaign as he missed Brazil's final three matches.

The arrival of a new wide attacker also invites questions about Raphinha's future, particularly given that he received a financially attractive offer from Saudi Arabia in 2023 and admitted it tempted him before Flick eventually persuaded him to stay. No departure speculation has surfaced yet, but the landscape is shifting.

Gerard Romero has also suggested that Bardghji could depart, potentially as part of the negotiations for Adeyemi.

Why Adeyemi fits Flick's system

In two seasons under Flick, Barcelona have built an identity around aggressive pressing and high defensive lines designed to win the ball back as quickly as possible.

The acquisitions of Gordon and potentially Alvarez represent a deliberate shift from the Lewandowski era, replacing a veteran striker who could no longer contribute to the press with younger, more physically dynamic options.

Adeyemi fits that template. Quick, relentless off the ball and highly committed to the press, he promises to complete an attacking line alongside Gordon and Yamal that could take Flick's system to another level. Romero noted the manager's enthusiasm for the signing specifically because of those pressing qualities.

The caveats are real, however. Adeyemi has never fully fulfilled his potential at Dortmund, struggling with inconsistency and spending considerable spells as a substitute.

Given those limitations, he should not cost significantly more than £43m, which remains a manageable figure for a Barcelona side whose finances are still not entirely back on solid ground.

Alongside the Alvarez pursuit — expected to cost upwards of £85m — the club also needs at least one elite central defender to partner Pau Cubarsi.