FC Barcelona and Real Madrid are set to face one another in the first El Clasico of this season, and as is always the case with these matches, both the teams would be willing to give their all to get a win and the bragging rights from this game.
However, there will be several players who will remain particularly in the spotlight. [This is most clearly the case with the midfielder Rodri Hernandez](https://barcanewsnetwork.com/barcelona-star-rodri-hernandez-opens-up-on-real-madrid-transfer-saga-ahead-of-el-clasico/), as he was close to joining the Merengues before he ultimately decided to sign for the Blaugrana side during the last summer transfer window.
Meanwhile, there is another player who had a similar experience last summer. As [SPORT](https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/barca/madrid-rechazo-fichar-adeyemi-verano-135730682) has reported, the journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed ahead of El Clasico that the German forward Karim Adeyemi was being considered by Real Madrid early in the summer, but ultimately, they decided not to move forward with him, as they believed he did not have the profile they were looking for.
This situation would not have disturbed the player himself too much. He revealed after signing for Barcelona that joining the Blaugrana side was his absolute priority. Ultimately, he was able to get his desired transfer as Jorge Mendes offered him to the Catalans.
The fact that he had only a single year left on his contract with Borussia Dortmund proved to be crucial in this operation, as he refused to sign a renewal, and Barcelona were able to sign him for €22 million fixed and another €7 million in variables, though the Germans had initially asked for €40 million for his transfer.
As a result, FC Barcelona were able to incorporate a highly capable player at a very reasonable price. However, it remains to be seen whether the rejection from Real Madrid would drive the player to prove himself in tonight’s El Clasico.