Borussia Dortmund have rejected a €20million ($22.8m) offer from Barcelona for forward Karim Adeyemi. The approach falls well short of Dortmund’s valuation of the 24-year-old, who has scored 36 goals across four seasons at the Bundesliga club.
Adeyemi, who has a year remaining on his Dortmund contract, is reportedly open to leaving the German side this summer. The Premier League is understood to be his preferred destination, with Aston Villa holding long-term interest.
Dortmund’s Stance and Adeyemi’s Contract
Dortmund’s rejection of the €20million offer underlines their higher valuation of the player. The forward joined Dortmund from Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg in July 2022 and has since appeared regularly for the club.
He has recorded 36 goals and 25 assists in 146 appearances for Dortmund. Adeyemi also started eight of Dortmund’s 12 matches on their run to the Champions League final in the 2023-24 season, including in the 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the final.
Recent Performance and Versatility
Last season, Adeyemi scored 10 goals and provided six assists for Dortmund in 39 appearances across all competitions. He started 15 of Dortmund’s 34 Bundesliga matches in 2025-26 as they finished second, 16 points behind champions Bayern Munich, and made a further 13 appearances from the bench.
The 24-year-old was omitted from Germany’s 26-man squad for the World Cup this summer, despite playing in their qualification campaign. This omission followed struggles with injury and form towards the end of the season.
Adeyemi provides a versatile option, able to play behind the striker, on either wing, or up front. He appeared mostly down the middle for Dortmund last season.
Barcelona’s Transfer Activity
Barcelona are actively looking to bolster their frontline following several key departures this summer. The La Liga champions have already recruited Anthony Gordon to their attack, signing him in a €80million (£68.2m; $91.4m) deal from Newcastle.
Ansu Fati has left the club in a permanent deal to Monaco, while Robert Lewandowski has joined Chicago Fire. Barcelona also did not activate their €30million buy option in Marcus Rashford’s loan agreement from Manchester United, creating space for further attacking reinforcements at the Catalan club.
With Adeyemi’s stated preference for the Premier League and Aston Villa’s long-term interest, his future could lie away from the Bundesliga club this summer.