Borussia Dortmund have signed Karim Adeyemi with the German giants a more sensible destination than Premier League challengers Liverpool, the striker’s former Unterhaching president tells Sky Austria.
You only have to look at the remarkable progress of his Signal Iduna Park predecessor to realise why Adeyemi jumped at the chance to follow in Erling Haaland’s gilded footsteps, swapping Salzburg for Die Schwarzgelben.
Dortmund confirmed the £32 million signing of the 20-year-old Germany international this week, in the aftermath of Haaland’s unveiling as a Manchester City player.
According to Sky Austria, Liverpool held talks with Adeyemi a couple of weeks ago.
But according to Manfred Schwabl, who helped discover the latest in a long line of Red Bull graduates at Unterhaching, Dortmund is the most next ‘logical’ step due to the club’s enviable track record when it comes to developing exciting young talent, from Haaland to Jadon Sancho, Jude Bellingham to Robert Lewandowski.
Borussia Dortmund sign Karim Adeyemi as Erling Haaland’s successor
“I always said beforehand that the next step after Germany was the logical, right one. Dortmund is the best choice,” Schwabl says.
“I see his transfer to BVB and the Bundesliga as an intermediate step. I think he will end up in the Premier League at some point.
“It depends on how he develops. Liverpool or Manchester United are clubs that are hungry for such players but it’s still far too early for that.
“(A move to the Premier League depends) on how he asserts himself in Dortmund, and also how he develops personally. English clubs as a whole are not only looking for good players, but also for players that have both feet on the ground.”
- How Rangers’ XI could look in 22/23, including 5 new signings
- How West Ham’s XI could look in 22/23 with 4 new signings
In an intriguing twist of fate, Adeyemi now finds himself under pressure to replicate Haaland’s almost unprecedented productivity for a second season in succession.
The former Bayern Munich youngster scored 23 goals in his breakthrough season at Red Bull Salzburg, following Haaland’s switch to Dortmund.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
