You don’t often see a red card in the first 20 minutes of a match. It is less common to be shown for two rapid fire bookable offences.
Yet that’s what I saw unfold on my trip to watch Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga last season. Admittedly, I was there first to watch Jude Bellingham – in those heady days when Liverpool looked like favorites to sign him. And while he undoubtedly caught the eye, he wasn’t the only impressive player of the day.
Right on my side of the pitch at the Westfalenstadion, another player stole the limelight. Not only did Freiburg’s full-back Kiliann Sildillia take an unusual bath, his two fouls were picked up less than two minutes apart.
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His torture? Karim Adeyemi. Although not the subject of as intense Liverpool speculation as Bellingham, he is certainly someone who has appeared on the transfer radar, having been linked with Anfield before moving from Red Bull Salzburg to Borussia Dortmund.
Now, his name has surfaced again, with Liverpool supposedly interested in him as Mohamed Salah’s successor (according to Italian. Calciomercato, at least). From what I saw that day, there was hardly a more exciting option.
It has to be said that Adeyemi was on the ‘wrong’ side of the pitch against Freiburg, starting on the left side. Strangely, Julian Brandt patrolled on the right (and had an impressive game) – he could easily have gone to Liverpool, before the Reds got Salah.
But the former Red Bull charge has all the necessary attributes to replace Salah. Essentially, he’s a left-footer – and although most of his career minutes have actually come up the middle, he has reasonable experience on both sides.
This versatility will be an added bonus for Jürgen Klopp, but nothing will stop Liverpool from installing Adeyemi in a permanent spot on the right. A fierce finisher with a consistent track record of beyond his expected goalshe looks capable of eventually being the one to shoulder enough of the burden to imitate Salah’s elite wide threat.
I even saw him against Freiburg – from the right, as it happens. He showed remarkable composure to slot home after a quick exchange at Bellingham, slotting it into the corner with his ‘weaker’ foot and restoring Borussia Dortmund’s lead.
On the ball, he’s more of a dribbler than Salah, perhaps boasting more similarities to the mainstream Sadio Mané. But he uses his talents effectively, rarely traveling down blind alleys. Sildillia can attest that she is a handful.
I didn’t know this time, but it turns out that I was witnessing Adeyemi break the all-time Bundesliga speed record in that match against Freiburg, clocked 36.7 km/h. That’s even faster than the famous paceman Alphonso Davies, who smoked Salah in a pre-season foot race.
At just 21, Adeyemi has plenty of room to improve as well. It’s scary to think how good he is. His main room for improvement is undoubtedly his creative contribution – but despite the 16th percentile pass completion among attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues, he managed the 74th percentile assists and 73rd percentile expected assists last year (FBref).
The one snag is that Borussia Dortmund knows how to monetize its assets. A conveyor belt of young talent, Adeyemi is surely the latest to earn a pretty penny. Hopefully the bidding won’t reach Bellingham’s level, but Liverpool will certainly have to spend the money: Sport Bild a price tag of $86m (£69m/€80m) was suggested earlier this summer.
However if Salah does leave – even if it is next summer, with just one year left on his deal – he will certainly fetch Liverpool a handsome sum. Assuming Saudi Arabia comes calling, the transfer kitty will grow.
I hope Salah is here to stay – this summer, next, and hopefully until he’s ready to call it a day. He still has records to break. But if he leaves, I think I see the ideal solution.