Last week it was reported that Liverpool have named a couple of attackers from abroad as their next summer priorities when the window opens; they have named Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham and RB Salzburg’s Karim Adeyemi as their potential big catches.
The two aforementioned Liverpool linked players will undoubtedly come in a bit pricey and they will certainly face strong competition for either of these two’s signatures. The former is already being touted by Chelsea, Liverpool, and both Manchester clubs.
The latter, the Reds have been monitoring for some time now and following a flying start to his life in the Austrian Football Bundesliga this season, he has become a hot prospect for many European clubs, most noticeably, the Reds, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
"The 19-year-old has emerged as a potential transfer target for the Reds, with some reports suggesting Jurgen Klopp’s side have been monitoring his progress since 2018.Adeyemi has been in fine form so far this season, having scored six goals and provided one assists in seven league appearances.His impressive displays have naturally led to increased talk of a move to a top European club, with Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayern Munich all listed as possible destinations."
But it appears both Barca and Liverpool have fallen behind in the race for Karim Adeyemi
Karim Adeyemi, who has been in red-hot form this season, scoring seven goals and collecting one assist in eight starts for RB Salzburg, has handed the Merseysiders a minor setback in the chase for him.
The player has admitted he would like to rejoin the Bavarians – a place he was at from 2010 to 2012 as a youth product – whereafter he was let go due to a contract disagreement and joined SpVgg Unterhaching.
He feels there is unfinished business at the Allianz Arena for him and other places will be regarded as second choices, behind another Munich stint.
Karim Adeyemi on his future:
"If (Bayern) made me an offer, I think I would choose that path.I want to show them what I can do, who I am and that it was a mistake to let me go. That motivates me."
This does put a damper on things for Liverpool fans but it doesn’t count their club out of the race, especially if Bayern are unwilling to bring him back to Munich.
The Unterhaching president, Manfred Schwabl, said Germany will surely only be a stepping stone and not a life-long stay for Adeyemi – this could be viewed as a problem for Munich.
Manfred Schwabl on their ex-player:
"German football would be well advised to bring him back,” Schwabl told Sport1.(But) if he came back to Germany, it would only be an intermediate step. In the long run, he’s a player for England."
3 – Karim Adeyemi is the first player to have won three penalties in a first half of a #UCL match (since det. data collection 2003/04). The record for a full Champions League season since at least 2003/04 is four (Arjen Robben in 2013/14). Unstoppable. #SFCSAL pic.twitter.com/JbN7E8VlNG
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) September 14, 2021
This is positive news for all outside of Germany in pursuit of him. Bayern will probably look for more of a long-term option, a forward who wants to stay at the club for the remainder of their career.
This is what could turn their attention away as they seek to replace the ageing Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Müller in the near future.
The estimated and potential fee they could pay for the RB Salzburg man is said to be around £25m – this makes him the perfect target for Liverpool – a club that tries to get suitable targets on a cheap.
With this in mind, do not be surprised if the in-form striker makes the switch from the Austrian Red Bull club to the German one – transfers between the two has been a usual business practice.
The Reds go up against Norwich City in the EFL Cup this Tuesday. Jurgen Klopp is expected to make a long list of changes and give a load of fringe and reserve players a chance to get some minutes under their belt for the season.