According to reports, Karim Adeyemi might once again be up for grabs.
Everything had pointed towards the 20-year-old joining Borussia Dortmund this summer. He wouldn’t be a like-for-like Erling Haaland replacement but he would be the attacker signed to fill the void left by his departure.
However, according to SportBild, the deal has stalled over recent weeks. The sticking point appears to be the fee, with the Austrian side wanting £38million for attacking dynamo. Back in January, it was reported that he would be available for closer to £25million. Though Dortmund are coming into some money courtesy of Haaland’s sale, there is a feeling that they don’t want to be taken advantage of.
Per Transfermarkt, £38million would make Adeyemi their record purchase. So you can sort of understand their rumoured reluctance.
Liverpool might not have such reluctance.
Though such a fee would be fairly steep for a player with fewer than 3,000 top flight league minutes to their name, Adeyemi has delivered at every level.
He has impressed for the German national team and been a standout performer for Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League this season. He tormented Sevilla – winning three penalties in a single match – and terrorised Lucas Hernandez during the 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich.
He didn’t score against the German giants and I’m not sure he was credited with the assist, but the way he isolates the left-sided centre-back prior to the opener being scored is very Kylian Mbappe-Esque. He lured Hernandez in close before he accelerated past him and into the space just outside of the area. He then played a pass which is poked on to Chukwubuike Adamu who curls an outrageous effort beyond the goalkeeper.
In a pre-season friendly, he made a mockery of Atletico Madrid, too. His goal in that game was one prime Leroy Sane would’ve been proud of. On his left foot in the left side of the area, he drilled it across goal beyond Jan Oblak and into the far corner.
That is the thing with Adeyemi. He isn’t a flat-track bully like some players in that league. He isn’t just scoring five against one team to really pad his stats. Don’t get me wrong, he does that. But then he also catches the eye against, well, everyone. That is what makes him a difference-maker and such an in-demand talent.
So while £38million on a 20-year-old might not seem like a Liverpool move, it is one that can easily be justified. Adeyemi is incredibly versatile and adept at playing across the forward line. Though he tends to favour the left flank for Salzburg, there is no reason, especially at his age, that he wouldn’t be able to move over to the right on a long-term basis and be just as effective.
Mohamed Salah could extend his stay on Merseyside, but that shouldn’t necessarily stop the club from going after Adeyemi. Salah’s minutes will have to be managed so there will be opportunities at right-wing. If Sadio Mane leaves, Liverpool need a third player to rotate with Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz in that centre-forward/left-wing hybrid role.
If Divock Origi, Takumi Minamino and Mane do leave this summer, the Reds could easily sanction another £40million attacker to bolster the ranks.
