Karim Adeyemi - Why are Liverpool chasing his signature?
He is one of the brightest prospects in the future of the game”, commented Fabrizio Romano via his weekly Here We Go podcast.
Karim Adeyemi, a German of Nigerian descent is a new kid on the block at the Red Bull Arena, in the Austrian Bundesliga.
The pacy and fleet-footed centre forward has attracted much attention from several of European football’s heavyweights, including the likes of Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and FC Barcelona.
His impressive start to life as a number nine at RB Salzburg after the departures of Minamino, Haaland, Daka and Hee Chan has created a cult following with interested clubs sending scouts to watch the youngster's game.
Liverpool are leading the race to sign the promising prodigy with those at Anfield being confident of luring him from the Red Bull Arena despite stiff competition from fellow suitors.
Salzburg are believed to be demanding at least £30M for his services, and Adeyemi himself is more interested in a move to German giants Bayern Munich.
Why are Liverpool in the market for Adeyemi whose stock is just rising? Why are Liverpool willing to pay such an astronomical fee for a promising teenager?
The upcoming African Cup of Nations is one major reason. The biennial event will kick-off this coming January in Cameroon and Liverpool are set to lose three players to the tournament. Mohamed Salah will be playing for Egypt, Sadio Mane for Senegal, and Naby Keita for Guinea.
Klopp will only be left with Jota, Origi , Minamino, Oxlade-Chamerlain and Firmino, and Liverpool will require more firepower to compensate for the loss of Mane and especially Salah. Rivals City and Chelsea will not be impacted anywhere as severely.
Should they manage to sign Adeyemi in January, Liverpool will have a young versatile forward who will provide much needed cover after the departures of their African stars .
Liverpool's ageing front three is also a major concern for Jurgen Klopp and the Liverpool board. Roberto Firmino, Salah and Mane are in their late twenties and closing in on the big 30 next season.
With an increase in age, there will be a decline in intensity, particularly in the Premier League. With that in mind, Jurgen Klopp has shortlisted the young German as one of his targets come the January transfer window.
Although only 19, his eye for goal is astonishing. He can also cope with the intensity and tenacity demanded by Premier League football. His signing may well prove to be a masterstroke from the Liverpool board.
Roberto Firmino has continued to be lacklustre in the final third. Ever since the beginning of the 2020/21 season, Firmino has struggled significantly in creating and scoring goals for his team.
His unselfishness and tenacity cannot be denied with Klopp even describing him as the “ the engine room of the team”
Despite his unquestionable importance to the way Liverpool play, the goal scoring burden has largely been left on Salah's shoulders and yet he will be absent for a month come January.
Liverpool will need more inspiration upfront and this shows just why Klopp is genuinely interested in the 19-year-old.
With January quickly approaching anything can happen and the future of Karim Adeyemi hangs in the balance as clubs continue to vie for his signature. Only time will tell.