Borussia Dortmund reject Barcelona’s opening bid for Adeyemi; want at least €33 million | OneFootball

Barcelona have stepped up their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund and Germany forward Karim Adeyemi over the past 24 hours.

The Catalan club have already reached a contract agreement with the player, a straightforward process given the forward’s desire to join the club and his previous relationship with Hansi Flick.

With the player’s approval secured, Barcelona then opened negotiations with Borussia Dortmund.

First offer rejected

Barcelona submitted an opening proposal worth €20 million in fixed fees plus performance-related add-ons. However, Borussia Dortmund rejected the offer, according to MARCA,

The German club is seeking a higher fee, having paid €33 million to sign Adeyemi several years ago. At a minimum, they hope to recover that investment.

Opening offer rejected. (Photo by Fabio Deinert/Getty Images)

One factor working against the Bundesliga side is that Adeyemi’s contract expires in one year, increasing the risk of losing him on a free transfer if no agreement is reached this summer.

Talks continue

Despite the rejection, negotiations remain active. Both clubs are expected to continue discussions over the coming days in an effort to reach a compromise.

Barcelona remain optimistic, believing Dortmund are under pressure to sell. If the German club keep the player and fail to extend his contract, he could leave for nothing next summer.

And, the La Liga champions see that situation as their strongest negotiating advantage, especially having agreed a contract with the player.

Calm within Barcelona

Although Flick is keen on signing Adeyemi, Barcelona are not prepared to exceed the financial limits they have established for the deal.

Club officials believe that failing to complete the transfer would not be a major setback.

Barcelona will not pay over the top for Adeyemi. (Photo by Pau Barrena/Getty Images)

Adeyemi is not viewed as an automatic starter, with Lamine Yamal currently occupying his preferred position.

The Blaugrana also have Roony Bardghji available as a backup option, despite the Swedish forward having expressed a desire for more playing time and not ruling out a move elsewhere. For now, however, he remains under contract with the club.

Barcelona are expected to continue pushing in the coming hours, as Flick would ideally like Adeyemi to be available for the start of the first team’s pre-season training.

That objective, however, appears difficult to achieve given that preseason begins next Monday, leaving very little time to finalise an agreement with Borussia Dortmund.