Liverpool were in the market for a new striker this summer, and while they eventually settled on Darwin Nunez, they did consider a few other options.
Kylian Mbappe has admitted that Liverpool held talks with him, Alexander Isak was strongly linked, while it was also highly-publicised that the Reds held an interest in Karim Adeyemi.
Last season, Adeyemi established himself as one of the brightest young talents in Europe after netting 19 goals in the Austrian Bundesliga and earning a place in the German national team.
Inevitably, his good form in Austria earned him a move to a top European club as Borussia Dortmund beat Liverpool to his signature, and while the Reds may have been gutted to miss out at the time, it now looks as though they’ve had a lucky escape.
The so-called ‘perfect talent’ was signed as a replacement for Erling Haaland for Dortmund this summer, and while they expected big things from another young striker signed from RB Salzburg, Adeyemi is proving to be more of a Takumi Minamino than another Haaland.
Indeed, Adeyemi is yet to score a single Bundesliga goal, and while he’s struggled with a toe injury at times this season, he’s still proven to be very underwhelming. Failing to even get into the Dortmund team most weeks, playing just 110 minutes so far this term.
Of course, it would be ridiculous to write off a 20-year-old after just a few weeks in an elite league, but first impressions are important and Adeyemi has failed that test so far.
Don’t get us wrong, Darwin Nunez hasn’t proven to be the greatest of signings so far either, but it doesn’t look as though Liverpool are missing much after failing to sign Adeyemi this summer.
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