Karim Adeyemi is a highly versatile forward, capable of playing on either wing or as a centre-forward. This season, he has often featured in a two-man strike partnership. He has also operated as an attacking midfielder in a 3-2-4-1 system, with Guirassy or Fábio Silva pinning the centre-backs while he started in the half-space before drifting into wide areas. His primary role at Barcelona will be to provide cover for the wingers and inject energy into games from the bench, in a role similar to Roony
Bardghji’s. That said, he can also be deployed as centre-forward when required.
As for his strengths, Adeyemi is an attacker with outstanding ability to beat opponents. However, what truly sets him apart is not his close control or dribbling skills, but rather his explosive acceleration. His change of pace is one of his biggest weapons, as he demonstrated in the Champions League against Chelsea when he left Enzo Fernández behind with a devastating burst in open space. He is a player who feels far more comfortable attacking space than facing deep defensive blocks. In addition, he is comfortable using both feet and, somewhat surprisingly, is also a strong aerial threat. That said, he still needs to improve his decision-making in certain situations.
Karim Adeyemi’s spell at Borussia Dortmund has been full of ups and downs. The German forward has produced performances in which he carried the team on his shoulders and showcased the potential to become a key player at one of Europe’s elite clubs. At the same time, he has also had matches where he struggled badly and went almost unnoticed. His time at Signal Iduna Park was inevitably defined by the clear chance he missed in the Champions League final, when he attempted to dribble past Thibaut Courtois but lost control of the ball. During the final stretch of the 2025/26 season, he also lost his place in the starting line-up. In fact, from December 10 onwards, Adeyemi started only seven of the 21 matches in which he was available. As a consequence, Julian Nagelsmann left him out of Germany’s squad for the World Cup. More often than not, he made headlines because of controversies rather than his performances on the pitch.
Throughout his four years at Borussia Dortmund, Adeyemi never managed to establish himself as an undisputed starter. In fact, he exceeded 17 Bundesliga starts in only one of those four seasons. One of the main reasons has been his physical fragility. Although he has generally avoided serious injuries, he has regularly suffered minor muscular issues that kept him out for one or two weeks at a time. Even so, he has consistently finished seasons with an impressive goals-per-minute ratio, although it is worth noting that most of his goals have come during the first half of the campaign.
The fact that Borussia Dortmund have not renewed the contract of a player who is only 24 years old and possesses extraordinary potential already suggests there was more behind the decision. Throughout the 2025/26 season in particular, the German forward was involved in several controversies. He appeared in a video training boxing with a UFC star, took part in the filming of a rapper’s music video while injured without the club’s knowledge, was fined by Borussia Dortmund following an unfortunate reaction after being substituted in mid-December and, on top of that, was fined €450,000 by a district court in Germany for the possession of illegal weapons. Adeyemi subsequently apologised on social media for his “huge mistake” that he “deeply regrets.”
Adding to the situation is speculation that his partner pushed for Adeyemi to leave Dortmund in search of life in one of Europe’s major cities, according to BILD. His social media activity has also sparked controversy on more than one occasion, further fuelling debate surrounding the player. These behavioural issues are nothing new. In fact, when he was just over ten years old, he was released from Bayern Munich’s academy reportedly due to concerns over his behavior.
However, it is also worth remembering that Barcelona have successfully revived the careers of players who arrived surrounded by controversy. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, for instance, joined the club after being frozen out by Mikel Arteta at Arsenal and expelled from Gabon’s Africa Cup of Nations squad following a disciplinary breach related to a late-night outing. A similar case is Marcus Rashford, who also arrived after being dropped by Rúben Amorim because of a lack of professionalism following several off-field incidents.
If Hansi Flick can help Karim Adeyemi leave the controversies behind and focus entirely on football, Barcelona will have signed a forward with the potential to become a hugely important player, both in the short term and for many years to come. The talent is there; now he simply needs to show it on a consistent basis.
