Man Utd 'best placed' to sign prolific Bundesliga striker known for his pace

Manchester United are in pole position to land a highly rated Bundesliga striker who has also been linked to Arsenal.

Karim Adeyemi at Borussia Dortmund could move to Old Trafford this summer, it has been claimed, though the forward would likely need to change his position under Ruben Amorim.

United are expected to have a busy summer as the owners look to hand Amorim a squad capable of competing for major trophies.

The Portuguese coach is working hard with the players at his disposal but has endured a tough start to life at United. The Red Devils sit 14th in the Premier League, way off the European qualification places.

However, Amorim’s side can salvage their campaign to an extent by winning the Europa League, which would put them in next season’s Champions League. Their last-16 tie with Real Sociedad remains in the balance following a 1-1 draw in Spain in the first leg.

Spanish outlet Fichajes claim that United have identified Dortmund’s Adeyemi as someone who could be signed to improve the team’s firepower next season.

United fans, though, would probably rather the club pursues an out-and-out No 9 such as Viktor Gyokeres.

Crystal Palace star Jean-Philippe Mateta is the latest centre-forward United have been tipped to move for. The striker position is a ‘priority’ for United officials and Mateta’s brilliant form at Palace has deeply impressed them.

United have also been tracking Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez in recent months. But TEAMtalk understands that United have cooled their interest in Kerkez, with Liverpool set to pounce.

A new report states that United are ‘the best-placed club’ to snap up Adeyemi in the summer. United are ‘closely monitoring’ the German as they are big fans of his speed and think he has the potential to become an elite star in the future.

The 23-year-old became the fastest player in Bundesliga history in 2023 when he reached a sensational top speed of 36.7km/h.

United ‘have the best chance of closing a deal’ for Adeyemi, despite him also being on the radars of European giants Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.

Such a move could see the right winger temporarily give up Champions League football – depending on United’s fortunes in the Europa League – to help Amorim get the Red Devils back to where they belong.

United have been alerted to Adeyemi’s situation as Dortmund may have to sell players this summer. BVB sit 10th in the German top flight and are at serious risk of missing out on Champions League qualification.

They will lose big money if this happens and Adeyemi could resultantly be sold to help balance the books.

The report does not mention how much United would have to pay for the ex-Red Bull Salzburg ace, though he has previously been valued at around €45million (£37.8m / $48.9m).

It is crucial to note that Adeyemi would likely have to change position if he were to play under Amorim. Adeyemi usually operates as a winger and has never played as a wing-back before. He has, however, played as a central striker on numerous occasions. Adeyemi could therefore provide Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee with more competition next season if United manage to engineer a deal for him.