Tuesday, December 7th, 2021
Adeyemi turned Barca off
Haaland coup can repeat itself for BVB
FC Barcelona vied for the services of Karim Adeyemi and apparently received a basket from the young star. The shares of Borussia Dortmund increase significantly for a commitment of the national player. Adeyemi could thus follow the path of a great role model.
Karim Adeyemi has had an extremely successful year: In the summer, the RB Salzburg striker became European champion with the German U21 national team, he was champion in Austria and cup winner, in September he made his debut in the DFB team under Hansi Flick (and scored his first international goal) and within months made himself one of the most sought-after young strikers in international football. Adeyemi is only 19 years old and urgently needs to worry about his future. Because he has long outgrown Red Bull Salzburg after less than two seasons with the professionals. He has already scored eleven times in 16 games in the Austrian Bundesliga this season, and there are three goals in five games in the Champions League.
According to a media report, a move to the German Bundesliga should now be more likely. The offensive player had already decided against a transfer to FC Barcelona, Sky reported on Monday evening. Accordingly, the Catalans had recently made an offer for Adeyemi to the Austrian Champions League representative. Adeyemi is still under contract with Salzburg until June 30, 2024.
“Basically exciting”
This increases Borussia Dortmund’s chances of signing Adeyemis. The interest in the now three-time national player is hardly coded in Dortmund. With regard to the national player, BVB sports director Michael Zorc recently referred to his contract with Salzburg. Adeyemi is of course a great German talent, he brings extreme speed and a profile that is fundamentally exciting, Zorc told the “Bild” newspaper.
“Karim will finish the season with us. He should fill the role he has right now for the whole season. That is clearly the main focus and in Karim’s head – also in ours,” said Salzburg’s sporting director Christoph Freund bravely. From the current perspective, however, he cannot imagine a scenario in which Adeyemi does not end the 2021/22 season with the Austrian series champions. In addition, Adeyemi, whose market value is currently estimated at 20 million euros, will not play in Austria.
“Match practice is the most important thing”
In addition to FC Barcelona, Inter Milan and Liverpool FC also inquired about Adeyemi, Sky had also brought Paris Saint-Germain into conversation as interested parties outside the Bundesliga. The player himself should first be drawn to Germany. FC Bayern is apparently not a real option, the Adeyemi side seems to have little chance of match practice with the record champions. “It has to work for both sides”, Adeyemi’s sponsor Manfred Schwabl had recently told Spox and Goal, “you should never take the third step before the second”. Match practice is “the most important thing” at this age.
According to information from Sky, Adeyemi’s move to Dortmund’s Borussia is now “90 to 95 percent likely”. According to the report, BVB has so far made the best offer for the attacker and thus surpassed rival RB Leipzig. A transfer fee of 35 million euros is in the room.
BVB recently had good experiences with a young Red Bull Salzburg striker: In January 2020, the then 19-year-old Erling Haaland moved from Salzburg to Dortmund as a freshly minted national player. In the summer, the striker will possibly move on, freeing up a place on the offensive that the Bundesliga club will have to fill with high-caliber replacements. Haaland currently has 51 goals after playing 51 Bundesliga games. That will hardly be replaceable for a player.
Adeyemi could find his place in Marco Rose’s system with three attackers at Haaland’s side. A prospect that should have inspired the native of Munich was to be read. In any case, more than a possible engagement with the big FC Barcelona.