Barcelona sign Adeyemi from Dortmund in €29m deal as Laporta hails Deco's work

Barcelona have confirmed the signing of Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund, with president Joan Laporta publicly endorsing the deal and crediting sporting director Deco for orchestrating a pursuit that stretches back well before this summer window. The confirmation came via Fabrizio Romano on Sunday evening.

Laporta left little ambiguity about the club’s satisfaction. “We are so happy. He’s a player we’ve been tracking for a long time,” the president said. “Adeyemi is very fast, very good player. Deco did an excellent job.” The public praise for Deco signals the club’s contentment not just with the outcome but with how the protracted negotiation with Dortmund was managed.

The financial structure involves a fixed fee of around €22 million plus up to €7 million in performance-related add-ons, with Dortmund retaining a sell-on clause. A five-year contract running to 2031 is reported, though neither the fee nor contract length were confirmed in Laporta’s statement itself.

Barcelona’s interest in Adeyemi is well-documented as predating this summer, with head coach Hansi Flick understood to have been central to the push. Flick’s influence on attacking recruitment has been an increasingly apparent theme across Barcelona’s summer activity, and Adeyemi’s profile fits the transition-oriented principles the German coach favours — a direct, pace-driven wide forward capable of attacking space in behind defensive lines.

Adeyemi spent his formative seasons at Red Bull Salzburg before moving to Dortmund, where his output was inconsistent. Injury and form disruptions meant he never fully delivered on the promise that made him one of Europe’s most talked-about young forwards during his Salzburg days. At a reported market value of around €45 million, securing him for a potential €29 million total outlay represents meaningful business if the add-ons are structured sensibly — though Barcelona are making a calculated bet on what he can become rather than paying for what he has already proved.

The Adeyemi deal sits within a broader summer of assertive recruitment at Camp Nou. Flick’s involvement in driving transfer targets has been a recurring theme, and the squad Laporta is assembling reflects a coach with genuine influence over incoming business.

An official club announcement and formal presentation are expected once administrative formalities are concluded, with attention then turning to preseason and how Adeyemi fits into Flick’s attacking structure ahead of the new campaign.