Chelsea have been dealt a major blow in the race to sign Karim Adeyemi, who has instead joined Borussia Dortmund, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed. The Blues were credited with interest in the 20-year-old striker earlier in the season as uncertainty loomed over the futures of Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku at Stamford Bridge.
Adeyemi has featured 42 times for Red Bull Salzburg this season, directly contributing towards 31 goals across all competitions. The youngster's impressive displays crowned him the youngest German to score a Champions League brace, a record previously held by Thomas Muller.
Though Salzburg failed to progress beyond the last 16, Adeyemi spearheaded the Austrian side's attack to excellent effect; he found goals against Sevilla, Lille and VfL Wolfsburg. Unsurprisingly, the Germany international courted the interest of Liverpool too, according to Goal, but Dortmund found their Haaland replacement and wheeled away with one of Europe's most highly-sought after strikers.
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As confirmed by Adeyemi's agent, the German giants have agreed to sign the youngster for £32.5million on a five-year deal. His agent Thomas Solomon confirmed: “We’re now close to complete the deal with Borussia Dortmund. There will be no release clause included into his five year deal - Manchester United wanted to enter the race, but we want BVB."
Meanwhile, Manchester City have reportedly agreed terms with Erling Haaland's representatives, according to The Athletic. Pep Guardiola's side are now expected to trigger the 21-year-old's release clause in the coming days.
With Adeyemi's move reportedly imminent, Thomas Tuchel looks to have missed out on Haaland's replacement. Chelsea face a looming striker crisis, with both Werner and Lukaku linked with moves away from Stamford Bridge.
Werner, whose contract at Stamford Bridge doesn't expire until 2025, has attracted a handful of interest from some of Europe's leading sides. His agent Volker Struth has reportedly been seeking a way out of west London for his client, according to reports.
The Express report that Struth travelled to Italy last month to sit down with representatives from Juventus, AC Milan and Atalanta over a potential move at the end of the summer. Meanwhile, with Lukaku, the 28-year-old has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Though the prospect of the Belgium international joining PSG seems to rest on whether Kylian Mbappe decides to pen a new deal, according to reports. The Athletic have outlined that the French outfit 'have the resources' to secure Lukaku, but extending Mbappe's future is a priority.
