Borussia Dortmund winger Karim Adeyemi is no doubt a talent on the rise in international football, having starred for the German club, albeit in a somewhat limited capacity, since he arrived from RB Salzburg in 2022 at the ripe old age of 20.
The German winger just turned 23 in January, but is coming off an impactful season that saw him score 12 goals and add 7 assists in just over 2100 minutes in three competitions, including 10 appearances in the Champions League, where he bagged five goals in 685 minutes.
Adeyemi has been a spot starter for Dortmund since he arrived, especially in the Bundesliga, but has found success in the Champions League, where he's scored 9 total goals (on an xG of 5.6) for Dortmund in 28 matches, 22 of which are starts. He was also excellent for Salzburg in that competition as well, suggesting he rises to the occasion even at his young age.
And having recently made his first start for the German national team in the UEFA Nations League, there's no doubt that Adeyemi is a player the world is taking notice of because of his work on the international stage.
There is no indication that Dortmund has any intention of moving on from the player at this moment, although a transfer fee in the neighborhood of €40-45 million has been thrown around, which matches the market value of the player.
In fact, both the player and club have made it clear that Adeyemi is happy at Dortmund and plans to stay and might even be interested in extending his current deal, which runs until June 2027.
But what a coup this would be for Everton if they could somehow convince both the club to sell and the player to come to Merseyside. It would take a great deal of convincing from Everton, considering Dortmund can still offer Champions League football and the opportunity for great club success. Everton can suggest promise for the future and a new stadium, but the former remains a dream until it is actualized.
But going after a player of this caliber and being willing to spend this kind of money would be a statement from Everton's new ownership and it is the type of move they should be looking to make, even Adeyemi doesn't end up being the man they land.
If the Friedkins want to return the club to its former glory, they need to take a big swing, and going after a rising talent would be one way to announce that Everton is on its way back.