Karim Adeyemi to Barcelona: Who Could Borussia Dortmund Sign to Replace Him?

With the news that Karim Adeyemi has agreed personal terms with Barcelona and that club-to-club talks over a fee are being discussed, Borussia Dortmund must prepare for life after the German winger. Who could they bring in to help fill that void in Niko Kovac’s squad this summer?

The Argentinian forward is a player that Borussia Dortmund have long been linked with an interest in, and with the ongoing talks between Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund over Karim Adeyemi’s departure, could this pave the way for Dortmund to make a move for Matias Soule?

Currently playing in Serie A for AS Roma, it seems that the Italian side may be willing to do business for Soule to comply with UEFA settlement agreements and that the player himself may be open to the move, as it appears his future as a first team regular is not certain, with Gian Piero Gasperini rotating his side heavily at the end of last season, seemingly not knowing whether his strongest side has Matias Soule in it.

It was reported by Patrick Berger in the middle of June that Borussia Dortmund were one of the main clubs interested in a move for the versatile forward and that he had a release clause in his contract between €25-€30 million. However, the expiration of that release clause was the 30th of June; therefore, should Dortmund want to pursue a deal for the Roma, they would need to negotiate directly with Roma, rather than trigger a release clause.

Following on from a successful loan spell at Rangers, current Spurs player Mikey Moore has been attracting interest from around Europe, with new Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi happy to let him leave on loan. The tricky winger, who can also play in an attacking midfield role, played 47 games, scoring 7 goals and registering 4 assists across those appearances.

However, due to Mikey Moore having such a high ceiling of development, it would be very unlikely that Borussia Dortmund could come in and buy Mikey Moore and instead would have to settle for a loan. This causes the club an issue as it would mean that while Karim Adeyemi would be replaced for the season, they will be back to where they are now next summer.

Additionally, replacing a very experienced Bundesliga operator and German international with a highly inexperienced 18-year-old on loan may not fit with what Niko Kovac wants in his squad, ahead of the aim of challenging for major honours next season. 

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One that could prove to be the best of the lot is Harvey Elliott. The Liverpool attacking midfielder has just come off the back of a difficult loan spell at Aston Villa, making just 9 appearances in all competitions. However, there is undoubtedly top-level quality there with Harvey Elliott; he just needs a move where he can play regularly in a side that has full trust and support in him and his ability, then he can flourish, and Borussia Dortmund could be that place for him.

However, it has been reported that new Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola is set to give Harvey Elliott the chance to prove himself in pre-season, but should he fail to impress, the club will look to move him on, ideally on a permanent transfer, which is where Dortmund could make their move.

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In summary, I think several replacements could arguably surpass Karim Adeyemi's legacy at Dortmund, should he depart the club this summer. Karim Adyemi's time at Dortmund has been very up and down, from the highs of the 2024/25 season, where he had 19 G/A in 36 games, to the lows of this campaign, where he only started 15 games for the Yellow Wall.

For Dortmund, they will be hoping that they can recoup as much of the €30 million they paid RB Salzburg for him and start to look to the future after signing a player in Adeyemi who showed so much promise, but never really delivered often enough.