Done deal: Karim Adeyemi secures Borussia Dortmund move

Done deal: Karim Adeyemi secures Borussia Dortmund move

(Featured Image: Borussia Dortmund)

Borussia Dortmund have completed the signing of highly-rated German forward Karim Adeyemi from Red Bull Salzburg for a reported €30million.

The 20-year-old has signed a five-year contract at Signal Iduna Park, keeping him in North Rhine-Westphalia until 2027.

Sebastian Kehl, BVB’s next sporting director, said: “We are getting another very exciting player for next season with Karim. What is more, he is someone who supported the Black & Yellows as a youngster.

“His speed and goal-scoring ability are impressive, and we still see enormous potential for more.”

Adeyemi has scored 19 goals and assisted a further four in 22 Austrian Bundesliga starts with Salzburg this season, while netting four times in the UEFA Champions League.

“Karim is a highly talented, young German international who will make a valuable addition to our attacking play,” added Dortmund’s current director Michael Zorc.

The striker, who can also play on the wings, is the third player to sign on the dotted line to become a new BVB player ahead of next season, following Niklas Süle and Nico Schlotterbeck, as a new era beckons for ‘die Schwarzgelbe’.

Adeyemi himself also spoke with the club’s site: “As soon as I heard Dortmund were interested in me, I knew I wanted to sign. I made the decision to sign a long-term deal because I’m convinced that we will be able to compete for titles in the years to come with the support of the amazing fans.’’

Already a senior Germany international, the left-footed Munich-born star is regarded as one of the country’s hottest footballing properties.

This promises to be an exciting deal for Marco Rose’s side, who also announced their agreement with Manchester City over the summer transfer of star striker Erling Haaland this afternoon.

The club are clearly wasting no time in replacing the Norwegian.

Career so far

Born in Munich to a Nigerian father and Romanian mother, Karim Adeyemi left Bayern Munich’s academy at nine years old to join SpVgg Unterhaching on the outskirts of Munich.

Having grown up watching Jürgen Klopp’s iconic Borussia Dortmund team, Adeyemi took inspiration from the likes of Robert Lewandowski and scored goals for fun at youth level for Unterhaching.

This form prompted RB Salzburg to bring the 16-year-old to Austria for a reported €10m in 2018.

A club known for developing top young prospects, just like Dortmund, Salzburg worked their magic on Adeyemi, initially sending him to the second division to play for reserve side Liefering.

In the 2019-2020 season, he managed three goals and seven assists as the club reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Youth League.

When the season resumed after pausing due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the forward returned and made his debut for the Salzburg first team, as he claimed his first of three successive Austrian titles and cups.

Adeyemi started the following campaign, his first full one with the senior squad, at 18 years old.

With most of his minutes coming predominantly through sub appearances, he would make just 11 starts, but racked up nine goals and 11 assists, including his first in the Champions League against Lokomotiv Moscow.

Rise to stardom

Ironically, Adeyemi was also trying to fill the boots of Haaland at Salzburg too.

The new Manchester City man left the Austrian champions in January 2020 to move to ‘die Borussen’, while the likes of Takumi Minamino also sought new challenges.

Such is the scouting strength of the Red Bull network, Patson Daka stepped up to the plate to fill the void left by Haaland.

But after the Zambian earned a Premier League move of his own last summer (he joined Leicester City), Adeyemi was trusted as the next in line.

His start to this season was fantastic, as he kicked off the term with five goals in the opening three league matches.

That form earned him his senior international debut for Germany at 19 years old against Armenia.

Meanwhile in Europe, the starlet was also key in Salzburg’s qualification for the Champions League knockout stages.

Reaching the round of 16 was something BVB failed to manage, but Adeyemi’s three goals and two assists were vital as ‘die Roten Bullen’ set up an ultimately unsuccessful knockout tie against Bayern.

In the regular season, his longest goal draught has been just three matches, while he has outperformed his expected goals (xG) by 2.21, meaning he has a tendency to score the more difficult chances.

Just over a week ago, Adeyemi claimed two assists to help Salzburg win the ÖFB-Cup final, while the club already sealed its ninth consecutive league title before the end of April.

Karim Adeyemi played a key role in those successes and could still add to his numbers before the season meets its climax.

Where will he fit?

The last time Borussia Dortmund recruited a starlet striker from RB Salzburg proved to be a success, and all things considered, the case should be the same here.

Karim Adeyemi has been a nightmare for defenders in Austrian football over the past couple of years and that is likely to translate to the German Bundesliga too.

His pace and eye for goal will make him a real weapon in BVB’s armoury; we have seen similar strikers such as the aforementioned Haaland and Timo Werner thrive in the German top flight before.

Adeyemi will be confident of doing the same.

Being a boyhood Dortmund fan, this signing could be the best the club make this window and a €30m fee will be music to the ears of the Yellow Wall.

He could prove to be worth significantly more in the future.

With Haaland gone, it’s easy to say that Adeyemi will operate as a striker but the club are reportedly eyeing up further options up top.

Meanwhile, having failed to truly replace Jadon Sancho, who joined Manchester United last summer, Adeyemi may see considerable minutes on the right wing.

The five foot nine forward has been known to have troubles with injury in the past and he is relatively inexperienced.

However, for his age he is already ahead of most, and with BVB continuing to recruit younger talents, aligning with their philosophy, this could be a fantastic piece of business.

This is certainly proving to be a busy summer for the club.

Karim Adeyemi 2021/22 Stats:

Austrian Bundesliga:

Appearances (Sub): 27 (5)

Goals: 19

Assists: 4

ÖFB-Cup:

Appearances (Sub): 5 (1)

Assists: 2

UEFA Champions League:

Appearances (Sub): 10

Goals: 4

Assists: 2

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