Second Signing: Barcelona Announces "Bullet" Adeyemi

Barcelona has officially confirmed its second summer signing, another attacking player: Karim Adeyemi. The 24-year-old German international joins from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of €22 million plus €7 million in add-ons. His contract with the champions is for five seasons.

Prior to Adeyemi, the Catalan giants strengthened their squad with Anthony Gordon from Newcastle.

Adeyemi, born to a Romanian mother and a Nigerian father, is a true "bullet." "Speed is my greatest strength," he admits, capable of covering 30 meters in just 3.78 seconds. In 2023, he even broke the Bundesliga speed record, clocking a top speed of 36.65 km/h. "We have immense faith in his duels. He just flies," shared his former teammate and now rival, Jude Bellingham.

His explosiveness makes him an exceptionally dangerous player both with and without the ball. He skillfully evades defenders, attacking the spaces behind the defense, and is highly effective in transitions from defense to attack. Adeyemi boasts a high stride frequency and can change direction sharply. However, he struggles in confined spaces or when playing with his back to goal. He doesn't quite fit Barcelona's typical profile of a possession-based, intricate player.

Another notable quality of Adeyemi is his versatility. He can play across any attacking position. He began his career as a central striker but gradually established himself as a winger – on both the left and right flanks. He has even been deployed as a secondary striker. Lately, he seems most comfortable playing from the right, cutting inside onto his stronger foot.

His goal-scoring statistics are impressive. For Borussia Dortmund and Salzburg, he has scored 69 goals and provided 49 assists in 12,492 minutes, averaging a goal contribution every 105.8 minutes. His conversion rate (16.6%) is also more than acceptable. He often makes surprising runs to attack the far post.

Nevertheless, there's a lingering feeling that he creates more chances than he converts. He possesses power but lacks control in decision-making – both in shot selection and during dribbles or crosses.

It's a fact that his performances are inconsistent. He's a player who can appear and disappear – even from the starting lineup – without a clear reason. This inconsistency has drawn criticism, as has his tendency to pick up cards: he has 27 yellow cards in 146 matches for the "Black and Yellows."

It must be said that off the pitch, he has also earned a reputation as a rebel. In Germany, disciplinary issues were cited as the reason for his departure from Bayern in 2012, when he was just 10 years old. Adeyemi, however, offers a different version: "The parents of my teammates were simply jealous of me."

More recently, in November 2025, he was involved in another high-profile scandal. The German international was fined €450,000 after police found brass knuckles and a taser in his possession. The player defended himself by claiming both items came from a "mystery box" ordered via TikTok.