Almost two weeks ago I wrote how Adeyemi to Barcelona was “a done deal”. For reference, that was the same day Spain and Belgium played each other in the quarter final. Since then, we’ve seen Spain go on to win the World Cup, Dortmund begin their preseason, and this cite have at least 100 discussions on how Borussia Dortmund have no money. Well have no fear! It’s finally official – Karim Adeyemi is no longer a Borussia Dortmund player. Adeyemi’s departure this summer was always on the cards for Borussia Dortmund.
Contract talks broke down in the Spring and the 24-year-old had only one season left on his contract.
By all accounts, Borussia Dortmund did very well with this deal. Yes, he was a ‘$80 million dollar player’ two seasons ago but that was when he had three years left on his contract and Dortmund were coming off of a Champions League final where, despite the misses, Adeyemi was one of the best players on the field. Instead, Adeyemi entered this window with just one year on his deal and a strong desire to join FC Barcelona. Dortmund will recoup the money spent on Adeyemi’s transfer to the club (around $33 million) and have secured a 35% sell-on clause. That sell on clause is very good business consider the volume of money that flows into Barcelona from transfers.
Adeyemi’s time at Dortmund was inconsistent. The peaks were amazing and often came on the biggest stage. His solo run against Enzo Fernandez and Chelsea, his first-half hattrick against Celtic, and defensive effort against PSG to send Dortmund to a UCL final. The troughs, however, were equally apparent. Adeyemi often struggled to maintain his form over a whole season. Despite scoring 19 goals for RB Salzburg, Adeyemi never surpassed 9 league goals for Dortmund. He disappeared for months at a time and was occasionally marred by off field controversy (that was often overblown). Across the past 18 months, Kovac has prefer Maximilian Beier to Adeyemi and the latter’s role in the team as slowly diminished.
Now, Adeyemi will be plying his trade in Catalonia and Dortmund have a much needed injection of cash to fuel the team’s rehaul. Best of luck, Karim!
Your Thoughts
What are your thoughts on this move? What was your highlight of Adeyemi’s time in Dortmund? Do you think Dortmund needs a like-for-like replacement?
