Sky reporter: Liverpool ‘considering’ swoop for 22y/o speed demon – but there’s one big ‘concern’

Mo Salah’s contract with Liverpool is set to expire at the end of this season, and the club is reportedly considering Karim Adeyemi as his potential replacement.

According to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, the 22-year-old Borussia Dortmund forward is on Liverpool’s shortlist as a successor to Salah.

Plettenberg noted on X (formerly Twitter): “Liverpool are keeping an eye on Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi as a potential successor to Mohamed Salah. Several top clubs are also tracking the 22-year-old, but his history of injuries raises concerns for interested teams. Adeyemi’s contract with BVB runs until 2027.”

According to Transfermarkt, Adeyemi is valued at €28 million (£23.46 million). This season, he has scored two goals and provided three assists in five Bundesliga matches.

While Adeyemi possesses significant talent, there are some concerns.

Starting with the positives, Adeyemi will be only 23 next season and already boasts significant experience in both the Champions League and Bundesliga. Over his career at both senior and youth levels, he has played 240 matches, contributing 90 goals and 57 assists. Primarily a center-forward, he is also adept at playing as a right or left winger, with 32 and 55 appearances in those roles, respectively.

Additionally, he is incredibly fast; during the 2022/23 season, he set the Bundesliga record for top speed at 36.65 km/h in a match against Freiburg. This season, he was only slightly surpassed by 0.02 km/h, indicating he could pose a serious threat to fullbacks in the Premier League.

However, there are significant concerns. Plettenberg highlights that Adeyemi is injury-prone, having missed 33 games due to various injuries since the start of the 2022/23 season. Furthermore, replacing a prolific scorer like Salah is a daunting challenge. While Adeyemi has the potential to improve, it’s unrealistic to expect him to immediately match Salah’s impressive output, which typically exceeds 25 goals per season in a highly competitive league. Adeyemi has yet to score more than 10 goals in a season since joining Dortmund.

Ultimately, finding a successor for such a key player as Salah will be challenging, and it’s unclear if Adeyemi is the right choice at this point, despite his versatility and speed.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *