Barcelona strengthens attack but Laporta confirms Raphinha's place

Barcelona’s summer rebuild is accelerating, and it’s happening high up the pitch.

Anthony Gordon is already in the door. Now the Catalan club are close to wrapping up another major attacking signing, having reached a reported agreement with Borussia Dortmund for Karim Adeyemi. The deal for the Germany international is understood to be worth €22 million, with a further €7 million potentially arriving in appearance and title-related bonuses.

For a club still walking a financial tightrope, that is a decisive move. And it has come with the full backing of the president.

Laporta’s delight over Adeyemi

Speaking to reporters in Dallas, Joan Laporta could barely hide his satisfaction at the business.

“We are very excited about Adeyemi. We've liked him for a while. He's dangerous and fast, and Deco handled the signing very well. The news came out when it was meant to,” he said, giving a rare glimpse into how long Barcelona have tracked the forward.

Speed, direct running, threat in behind – Adeyemi brings precisely the kind of profile Hansi Flick craves in his front line. With Gordon already secured, Barcelona are reshaping their attack around intensity and movement, not just technical polish.

That kind of influx always has a consequence. Someone’s place gets questioned.

Raphinha rumours and a Saudi shadow

As soon as Adeyemi’s name surfaced, the speculation around Raphinha intensified. The Brazilian has long had admirers, and this summer Al-Hilal have emerged as the most serious of them.

The Saudi Pro League club are reportedly readying an offer in excess of €90 million – the sort of figure that would normally make a financially strained boardroom sit up straight.

Barcelona’s accounts are no secret. Big bids usually mean big conversations. Not this time, according to Laporta.

“Raphinha is going to stay. We have absolutely no interest in him leaving Barca. He is a mainstay. With Gordon and Adeyemi, I see that we are reinforcing the attack, but that doesn’t mean we are going to part ways with Raphinha, who is key for us,” he insisted.

Clear, direct, and pointed. The president didn’t just defend the player; he ring-fenced him.

A star checked by injuries

Laporta also acknowledged why the debate around Raphinha even exists. The 2025-26 campaign never quite allowed the winger to show his full range when it mattered most.

He reminded reporters what came before.

The former Leeds United standout, he argued, had been one of the best in the world in his role the previous year, only to be undermined by fitness problems in the decisive stretch of last season.

“The shame about last season is that he wasn’t able to be at full capacity during that final stretch of the League, Champions League, and Copa. The results would have been different,” Laporta said.

It was more than a compliment. It was a statement of how heavily Barcelona still lean on Raphinha’s influence in big games.

Flick’s selection headache

All of this feeds into one unavoidable reality: Hansi Flick is going to have to make some brutal choices.

With Adeyemi and Gordon joining an already crowded forward line, the Barcelona coach suddenly has an array of options that most managers would envy. Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Fermin Lopez, Ferran Torres, and Rony Bardghji are all in the mix for minutes in the final third.

There will be competition in every training session. There will be high-profile names on the bench. There will be no hiding places.

For now, though, one thing is non-negotiable. Amid the churn and the new faces, Raphinha remains central to Barcelona’s plans as they chase a third straight La Liga crown and set their sights on finally lifting the Champions League again in 2026-27.