Barcelona To Make $45M Offer For RB Salzburg's Goal Scoring Wonderkid: Report

FC Barcelona are reportedly interested in signing RB Salzburg striker Karim Adeyemi, who is admired by Catalans boss Xavi Hernandez.

Barcelona are set to approach RB Salzburg with an offer of around $45 million this week for Adeyemi, reported Spanish publication SPORT.

The 19-year-old Adeyemi has had a flying start to the 2021-22 campaign, having scored 11 goals and one assist in 13 Austrian Bundesliga matches. The teenage sensation has also netted thrice in four Champions League appearances for RB Salzburg, thereby earning more attention ahead of the January window.

Adeyemi is one of the crucial members of the current RB Salzburg side that are at the top of the league table with 38 points, 14 points ahead of second-placed Wolfsberg. Salzburg are also unbeaten in the Austrian league this season.

Other than Barcelona, Adeyemi has also been linked with German clubs such as Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, according to soccer website 90Min. While the young striker is also gaining attention from Premier League with Liverpool FC and Manchester City closely monitoring Adeyami’s situation at Salzburg.

RB Salzburg have had a pool of talented youngsters in the past and the Austrian club has sold several of its promising stars in recent times, including Erling Haaland, Szoboszlai and Patson Daka. Adeyemi, who has experience of over 60 first-team matches, is set to become Salazburg’s latest high-profile departure in the coming months.

It is understood that while Dortmund are set to closely rival Barcelona in the race to sign Adeyemi, the German club are willing to offer only $39 million and are not expected to match Barcelona’s wages as well.

It has also been reported that while Barcelona were looking to offload Philippe Coutinho, the Brazilian midfielder will not leave the club in January. Xavi wants Coutinho to play under his management before taking a call on the midfielder's future.

Xavi, who is set to make his debut as Barcelona’s head coach Saturday, also wants to land Liverpool’s superstar Mo Salah "at all costs". Salah’s current contract at Anfield is due to expire in 2023 and talks regarding an extension are already underway. It is believed that the Egyptian has demanded a weekly wage of around $550,000 as a part of his new contract.