Karim Adeyemi is looking forward to plenty of trips to the beach in Barcelona, but above all, he wants to impress on the field—and thereby catch Jürgen Klopp’s eye.
FC Barcelona is currently in England preparing for the upcoming season. Naturally, Karim Adeyemi—who has been under contract with the Catalans for a week—is also there. The 24-year-old hopes to change the fact that, as a non-national team player, he’s participating in the training camp from the start.
Adeyemi last played for the German national team in October 2025, when the squad secured victories in World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg (4–0) and Northern Ireland (1–0). On both occasions, the speedy forward was part of Julian Nagelsmann’s starting lineup; Nagelsmann subsequently named Adeyemi to the squad for the November training camp but did not play him again. Ultimately, he was not considered for the World Cup this summer either.
“Only I can decide whether or not I return to the national team. I’m convinced that I’ll be part of it if I play well,” the former Dortmund player told Mundo Deportivo with confidence. He “do think” that the move could have a positive effect, “but ultimately, I have to prove it on the field.”
At Barça, Adeyemi is now once again playing under Hansi Flick, who helped him make his senior national team debut in September 2021. “I’ve trusted him for a long time and have great respect for him,” says the new signing, who is “very close” to the head coach.
“I hope he recognizes my abilities and that I can help the team on the field,” Adeyemi explains, noting at the same time that he’s unfazed by the stiff competition for his position from Lamine Yamal: “I’m not afraid of any player. I know I’ll get a chance to play if I give it my all.”
Barça debut on Friday?
Since the La Liga season starts a week later for Barça and Real Madrid than for the rest of the league, Adeyemi has more time to settle into his new surroundings. “In Barcelona, I’m looking forward to going to the beach and finally enjoying the sun. We don’t get much sun in Germany, and I hope I can enjoy it there with my family,” he says, looking ahead to his activities off the field.
First, however, the defending champions still have four preseason friendlies ahead of them—the first of which is on Friday (8:45 p.m.) against Birmingham City. For Adeyemi and his teammates, this is a chance to prepare optimally for “a very good season with, hopefully, many titles.”