Chelsea pursue €50m Champions League hero

Cameron Smith

7 Oct 2024 14:30 BST
3 min read

Enzo Maresca, Chelsea, 2024/25 — © IMAGO

Chelsea reportedly remain interested in signing Borussia Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi.

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The Blues were linked with a move for Adeyemi during the summer transfer window, but they eventually decided against pursuing a deal after the arrivals of Pedro Neto, Joao Felix, Jadon Sancho and Marc Guiu.

However, Enzo Maresca’s side have rekindled their interest in the Dortmund star and are eager to finalise a transfer in 2025, according to Fichajes.

Adeyemi, 22, has also been linked with a move to Liverpool, with the Reds viewing him as a potential long-term heir to Mohamed Salah.

The Egypt international has less than a year remaining on his current deal at Anfield and a Saudi Pro League switch has been touted as a legitimate option for several months.

Despite this, Chelsea are set to rival Liverpool for Adeyemi’s signature as they continue searching for possible upgrades to their first-team squad.

Adeyemi has five goals and five assists in eight games across all competitions so far this season, including a hat-trick during Dortmund’s 7-1 demolition of Celtic in the Champions League last week.

Dortmund will reportedly listen to offers worth around €50 million for Adeyemi, whose contract with the Bundesliga club runs until 2027.

© IMAGO - Karim Adeyemi, Borussia Dortmund

Karim Adeyemi vs Celtic

Thanks to his hat-trick against Celtic, Adeyemi became the youngest German player in history to reach 10 Champions League goals at 22 years and 257 days old.

After Adeyemi’s record-breaking performance, Dortmund captain and former Liverpool midfielder Emre Can said: “He played fantastically. Not just today, but also in the last few weeks.

“He plays with more maturity and more determination. That must continue to be his aim.”

Adeyemi has 19 goals in 74 games for Borussia Dortmund, while his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) currently stands at €40.9m.