Barcelona's preparations for the new season have been hit hard by the news that Frenkie de Jong is facing up to six months on the sidelines after returning from the World Cup with a serious knee injury. The blow is compounded by the club's anger toward Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman and the Dutch medical staff, with Barcelona feeling they were misled about the midfielder's condition during the international break. Losing a player of De Jong's quality and influence for the opening months of the campaign is a significant setback for Hansi Flick's squad.

Against that difficult backdrop, the club has moved quickly to strengthen. Karim Adeyemi completed his medical in Barcelona this week and an official announcement of the €29m deal from Borussia Dortmund is expected imminently. The Germany international is set to join Flick's group for pre-season, giving the squad an injection of pace and directness on the wing. Barcelona had also been pursuing Julian Alvarez, but Atletico Madrid's refusal to sell to a direct rival has complicated that pursuit, with Arsenal now pushing hard to secure the Argentine before pre-season begins.

There is also movement on the outgoing side. Ferran Torres is open to joining PSG, with advanced talks already underway, partly driven by the club's need to manage its finances. Robert Lewandowski's departure to Chicago Fire closes a chapter, though the Pole spoke warmly of his time at the club. With pre-season around the corner and a friendly against CE Europa scheduled for late July, Barcelona are balancing squad-building ambition against a pressing injury concern at the heart of midfield.