Barcelona will not pursue a move for Red Bull Salzburg’s 20-year-old German attacking sensation Karim Adeyemi in the summer transfer window.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona’s pursuit of Karim Adeyemi has ended for good. The Catalan giants are instead prioritising tying Ousmane Dembele down to a new contract ahead of the summer transfer window.
Karim Adeyemi has become a hot property in the transfer market on the back of a stunning 2021/22 campaign thus far. Following Patson Daka’s move to Leicester City last summer, the German attacking sensation has stepped up, becoming a talismanic figure for Red Bull Salzburg.
The 20-year-old has a tally of 19 goals and four assists in 34 appearances across all competitions. As iterated, Adeyemi’s exploits have not gone unnoticed, with some of the most high profile clubs in Europe setting their sights on him. The player has also been heavily linked with Barcelona lately.
Barcelona had attempted to sign Adeyemi nearly three years ago, but a move did not materialise. Since then, the Catalan giants have continued tracking the youngster’s progress, with recent reports claiming that they have been one of the clubs in contention to land him in the summer transfer window.
With Luuk de Jong set to return to Sevilla upon completing his loan term and Martin Braithwaite likely to depart Camp Nou in the summer transfer window, Barcelona will need to invest in a young striker. That is because Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be the only natural centre-forward left at Xavi Hernandez’s disposal.
Adeyemi would have been a viable target for Barcelona, with his ability to play out wide further making him an attractive prospect. But the La Liga heavyweights view the 20-year-old German attacking sensation primarily as a wide-attacker, which is why they have ruled out signing him in the summer. Instead, Barcelona will prioritise tying Ousmane Dembele to a renewal.
Recent reports have claimed that the Frenchman is open to staying put at Barcelona beyond the summer transfer window. And if Dembele remains at Camp Nou, Barcelona can focus on signing a top-class striker, which Adeyemi can be, in all fairness. Nonetheless, it looks like the youngster’s future is elsewhere, with Liverpool among the clubs closely monitoring his situation.
