Man City, Barca and Madrid take note - Have Dortmund already signed their Haaland replacement?
FT Desk
- 8 Mar 2022 20:19 GMT
- 3 min read
Most of the rumours revolving around Borussia Dortmund ahead of the summer transfer window are based on the future of one player: Erling Haaland.
Whether it’s Manchester City, Barcelona or Real Madrid, the Norway international’s name seems to be on the back pages of the continent’s biggest newspapers on a weekly basis.
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However, according to new reports, Dortmund are far more concerned about the future of another striker who could end up playing for the club next season.
According to football journalist Fabrizio Romano, Dortmund have agreed terms with Red Bull Salzburg striker Karim Adeyemi.
Although the club haven’t yet agreed a price with his Austrian club, it seems more and more certain that Dortmund will be signing a new striker this summer.
However, while Adeyemi is considered a smart signing and talented young player, many have begun to wonder whether his arrival will signal the departure of Erling Haaland in the summer transfer window.
So should Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester City consider Adeyemi’s transfer as a sign that Dortmund are preparing to sell Haaland?
Karim Adeyemi answers on Borussia Dortmund talks with RB Salzburg: “My focus is in Salzburg. Nothing is clear [about BVB move]. What happens in the summer, happens in the summer”. 🟡⏳ #BVB @bvbnewsblog pic.twitter.com/ClpQIArCld
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 15, 2022
Is Adeyemi a Haaland replacement?
There’s no doubt that Adeyemi is a striker and would therefore lighten the burden if Haaland were to move on but it would also be a little simplistic to suggest that the 20-year-old talent is going to be the Norway international’s successor.
Perhaps the most obvious reason for that is the simple fact that Adeyemi is far more of an all-rounder in attack and can happily drift out to the flanks or indeed play as a second striker. As such, he’s just as likely to be played alongside Haaland in Dortmund’s 4-2-3-1 formation than replace the Dortmund star altogether.
Indeed, as head coach Marco Rose would certainly attest to this season, Dortmund are actually in desperate need of another striker than can play up front alongside or to fill in for either Haaland or Donyell Malen, in place of the younger but rather ineffective Steffen Tigger or Youssoufa Moukoko.
So is Adeyemi a replacement for Haaland this summer? Probably not. But when Dortmund do eventually sell the striker, the young German may be the player tasked with replacing him in the future.
