Transfer Report: Dortmund Nearing a Deal for Karim Adeyemi

Dortmund fans have been watching the saga of Karim Adeyemi to BVB progress throughout the season, as teams like Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona have joined and subsequently departed the race for the young German’s signature. Adeyemi has made it clear he sees the future of his development in Germany, and if BILD is to be believed, that future likely lies in North Rhine-Westphalia. The German news outlet is reporting that personal terms have been agreed between the club and the player, with only a fee discrepancy to be worked out.

This is an intriguing move for Borussia Dortmund. The club have stated publicly that they are planning to enter into negotiations with Erling Haaland to bumper his contract, so is Adeyemi planned as Haaland’s replacement or his partner? Adeyemi shares the striking profile of Donyell Malen, who Dortmund also happened to bring in for about €35 million. Would Marco Rose succeed by deploying two players of such similar style alongside each other? If the plan is to keep Haaland, Adeyemi, and Malen in rotation, the question becomes who from the attack is expected to depart to accommodate game time for all of this personnel? Reyna will return from injury looking for his place, Julian Brandt’s stock is finally back on the rise, and Thorgan Hazard was knocking in goals before his untimely COVID diagnosis. Seems like quite the selection headache, and quite the wage bill.

The jury is out on what this move means for the Dortmund attack, but for the BVB brand this is a slam dunk. The board has made a point of bringing German nationals to the club to have more of a presence in the international lineup, and Adeyemi is certain to have an massive influence in both Die Mannschaft and in the Bundesliga in the coming season.