Karim Adeyemi signed for FC Barcelona amid high expectations and considerable uncertainty after a difficult season at Borussia Dortmund that left him out of the World Cup squad, SPORT reported.

That arrival carried plenty of questions about how the German forward would perform and behave in a Blaugrana shirt. SPORT reported that those opening months have turned out exemplary.

Manager Hansi Flick knew Adeyemi well from the German national team and provided the initial backing for the transfer. SPORT reported that Adeyemi holds a strong relationship of trust with his coach.

“Flick is the principal razón por la que estoy aquí,” Adeyemi told SPORT.

That close bond allows Flick to push the forward harder when necessary. SPORT reported that after a preseason friendly debut in Birmingham, the manager pointed out room for improvement in training.

“In the trainings I saw him better, he did things not too good,” Flick said, according to SPORT. “He still has things to improve. When he is concentrated he is fantastic.”

Participation has remained steady despite a difficult fit within a crowded front line. SPORT reported that Adeyemi has featured in 14 of 15 matches, missing only the visit from Aston Villa to the Spotify Camp Nou.

Competition for places comes from established starters. SPORT said that Lamine Yamal leads the attack, Raphinha delivers extraordinary output centrally, and Anthony Gordon provides the defensive pressure Flick demands on the left wing.

A drop in recent weeks has left Adeyemi with 546 minutes on the pitch, ranking him fourteenth in the squad, SPORT reported. He has started only five of those 15 games.

That limited starting time coincided with exclusion from the latest international window with the German national team under Jürgen Klopp, SPORT reported. Yet the Munich native maintains a positive outlook.

SPORT reported that Adeyemi displays a constant smile and deep gratitude toward Flick for bringing him to Catalonia.

Impact still arrives in brief appearances. SPORT reported that during a match at the Metropolitano, Adeyemi managed the closing moments near the corner flag to frustrate Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill, and teammates.

After the final whistle, the forward celebrated by sparring playfully with members of the coaching staff, SPORT reported. Contact sports remain a favorite pastime for the German winger.

“Está agradecido a Hansi Flick por haberle llevado al Barça y su actitud es ejemplar,” SPORT reported of the player’s current standing within the club.