Manchester United have had a busy summer reshaping their attack to help respond to Ruben Amorim’s infamous 3-4-2-1 system. There were two major outings in the forward areas, with two academy graduates leaving.
Alejandro Garnacho has agreed a permanent deal with Chelsea and Marcus Rashford has joined Barcelona on loan with an option to buy.
Of course, the Red Devils needed to bring in replacements, with two important signings moving to Old Trafford. One of them was Bryan Mbeumo, who has taken over since his move from Brentford.
Matheus Cunha has also shone following his summer move from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
However, United do not appear to be done there, with another attacking target lined up.
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You can’t rule out the signings of Mbeumo and Cunha, who have both performed well since arriving at Old Trafford. Cameroonian star Mbeumo has been particularly impressive, with seven goals and assists in just 12 games for the Red Devils.
Well, INEOS could now look to add to that firepower in attack with Borussia Dortmund and Germany striker Karim Adeyemi.
Sky Sports Germany reports that the 13-time Premier League champion is “in talks” with his agent, Jorge Mendes, over a potential move for the striker.
Adeyemi, 23, will be out of contract in June 2027, and at this stage it is unclear whether he will extend his stay at Signal Iduna Park.
That could give United, and other big European clubs, a chance to pounce.
The price is not confirmed if a move comes to fruition, but there is a £70.5 million release clause in his potential new deal, a fee Dortmund could demand.
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The 2025/26 campaign has been an impressive one from Adeyemi, putting in some good performances and scoring some good goals and assists. Still, he has been an important player for Dortmund, showing great versatility playing on both flanks and as a number nine.
This season, the 11-cap Germany international has found the net three times and provided three assists, in 14 appearances so far. On top of that, The Athletic’s German football correspondent Seb Stafford-Bloor says he thinks it’s the “best football of his career”.
Perhaps this impressive form is a continuation of his 2024/25 campaign, by far his most productive in that famous yellow jersey so far. In 41 appearances, he scored 12 goals and provided 11 assists, including a famous Champions League hat-trick against Celtic.
If United were to bring Adeyemi to the club, he could be the second coming of Garnacho, with both players considered to be statistically similar players among those in their position in Europe’s top five leagues, according to FBref.
The Argentinian is showing his former club what they are missing by selling him this summer. For Chelsea, Garnacho already has two goals and two assists in ten games.
This is perhaps a sale that will always leave Red Devils fans wondering what could have been. Their former number 17 showed flashes of brilliance for the club, but struggled when Amorim took over.
He has scored ten goals and provided assists under the Portuguese manager, including this superb strike against Brentford.
It’s easy to see how similar the players are. Both men are quick and direct wingers who use their pace well and look to attack defenders. On top of that, their underlying numbers for this season are similar.
For example, Adeyemi – described as a “pace monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson – averages 1.43 key passes per 90 minutes, compared to Garnacho’s 1.58 key passes each game.
|
Adeyemi & Garnacho key stats compared |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Condition (by 90) |
Adeyemi |
Grenache |
|
Goals and assists |
0.54 |
0.79 |
|
Key passes |
1.43 |
1.58 |
|
Plan Creation Actions |
4.47 |
3.15 |
|
Supports completed |
2.32 |
1.32 |
|
Ball recoveries |
2.86 |
2.89 |
|
FBref statistics |
||
Both forwards are versatile forwards who could play as a number 10 or even full back under Amorim. They offer similar creativity in the final third and possess blistering pace, which can harm defenders.
There is no doubt that £70.5 million represents a significant sum for the German. Yet Adeyemi could improve the quality of United’s attack and be the second coming of one of their most exciting academy graduates in recent years.
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