Sources: The Borussia Dortmund forward Barcelona could have signed instead of Raphinha | OneFootball

In a recent report from SPORT, it has been revealed that Karim Adeyemi, the Borussia Dortmund forward, was once a key target for Barcelona.

The interest in the 22-year-old dates back to 2021, during his time at Red Bull Salzburg in Austria. At that stage, Barcelona’s sporting management had identified him as a promising talent with immense potential.

Adeyemi’s performances for Salzburg caught the attention of Barcelona scouts, who delivered glowing reports about the young forward’s abilities.

Barcelona were in advanced talks

To demonstrate their interest, Barça representatives met with Adeyemi’s agent, Thomas Solomon, on multiple occasions. These meetings aimed to express Barcelona’s desire to bring him to the club and understand the player’s ambitions.

Despite having trained in Bayern Munich’s youth academy, Adeyemi reportedly admired Barcelona due to Lionel Messi being his idol.

Barcelona had good reports of Karim Adeyemi. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

At the time, Barcelona viewed Adeyemi as a valuable investment for both the present and future. His versatility and ability to operate across various attacking positions, particularly excelling on the left wing, made him a highly attractive option.

So what changed?

As it turns out, the club eventually decided to prioritise immediate impact over potential. In their search for a winger, Barcelona opted to sign Raphinha instead.

Meanwhile, Adeyemi chose to join Borussia Dortmund, who secured his services for €30 million. Since then, the German forward has developed into a crucial player for the Bundesliga club.

His current season began strongly, with Adeyemi contributing five goals and five assists in eight matches before suffering an injury in early October.

As Barcelona gear up to face Dortmund, Adeyemi has returned to training with his teammates, but it remains uncertain whether he will be ready to feature against the Catalan side.

This potential reunion offers an intriguing narrative, as the Blaugrana might see what could have been had they pursued the young forward more aggressively back in 2021.