Manchester United have opened a line to Karim Adeyemi’s camp ahead of the January window, testing the temperature around a move while the Borussia Dortmund winger navigates a sticky spell in Germany. The interest is real, but so are the caveats: United’s winter priorities lean toward a centre-forward after Benjamin Sesko’s knee setback, and any Adeyemi deal would have to make sense on price, role and timing.
Adeyemi’s output this season sits at three goals and three assists, yet form has dipped since October and noise around his relationship with head coach Niko Kovac has grown. Dortmund, for their part, still see him as important and want an extension beyond 2027 likely with a release clause. Early whispers suggest a figure around €80 million, which would put negotiations on a sharp edge for any suitor.
The 23-year-old (turning 24) has also changed agents, now represented by Jorge Mendes, whose channels into Old Trafford are well-trodden. That smooths communication, not necessarily conclusions. United’s recruitment room must decide if a wide attacker is the right spend when the squad already carries recent investments out wide and a glaring short-term need through the middle.
Manchester United contact Karim Adeyemi: what we’re hearing
United have made contact with Adeyemi’s side to understand appetite, numbers and feasibility. The winger is open to clarity on his role in Dortmund’s plans, and an exit cannot be ruled out if tensions persist and terms don’t align. From United’s perspective, this is information gathering rather than an immediate push, contingency planning in case a value window opens.
Dortmund’s stance is firm: protect value now, avoid a mid-season discount. An extension with a clause would achieve that, and the player is not against it if the framework suits him.
How the Dortmund situation complicates a deal
Two tracks run in parallel. First, sporting: Adeyemi’s minutes and usage since October. Second, contractual: a potential new deal designed to set his price. If relationship issues with the coach linger, winter movement becomes feasible, but only at a level Dortmund can defend. That makes a straight bargain unlikely.
There is also the player’s profile to consider. Adeyemi thrives in transition, attacking space off the shoulder. United will weigh how that maps onto matches where they face deeper blocks and require more combination play in tight zones.
The number of around €80m has being floated. United’s reality is different given that they will be short on budget in the middle of the season and they are quite short of options in that #9 role. Unless the ask softens or structure becomes creative, this price point tilts the equation away from a January green light.
Any offer would need to balance upfront spend with performance add-ons and protection for United if the role is rotational in the short term.
Where he fits in Ruben Amorim’s winter plans
Ruben Amorim’s depth chart is stretched at centre-forward after Sesko’s injury. That pushes the club toward a nine before a winger, even if Adeyemi’s pace and pressing would raise the attack’s ceiling. If United do move, expect it to be opportunistic rather than headline-first: a deal that lands at the right fee and does not block the No 9 solution the manager has hinted at.
