Hansi Flick makes decision on Karim Adeyemi position for 2026-27 season | OneFootball

Barcelona get their 2026-27 season underway on Sunday with a trip to Elche, although they go into that match without a recognised striker at senior level. Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres have left for Chicago Fire and Paris Saint-Germain respectively, and that has left Hansi Flick to call upon the likes of Hamza Abdelkarim, Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi while the wait goes on for a new number nine to arrive.

It’s unclear at this stage who will start alongside Lamine Yamal and Raphinha in Barcelona’s attacking trio for the Elche man. Abdelkarim has impressed during pre-season, but he may not risked from the start given that he does not have much experience of senior football, which would leave Gordon and Adeyemi as options.

But it will not be Adeyemi that starts through the middle at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero, as Sport have revealed that Flick does not see his German compatriot as a striker option for Barcelona. He’s purely seen as a option to compete alongside the likes of Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Gordon and Jesse Bisiwu on the wings.

Flick has four striker options outwith Adeyemi

Flick does not like the option of Adeyemi as a striker, which is why he will not be used there. Abdelkarim and Gordon are the leading options while Barcelona continue to work on signing a striker, while Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez are false 9 options that can be utilised if necessary.

Adeyemi may not be considered a central striker, but he still has all the makings to be a success for Barcelona. He scored his first goal for the club in last weekend’s 5-2 victory over FC Basel, and he will hope to notch many more over the course of the 2026-27 season – and he should have plenty of opportunities to do so as backup on both wings.