Manchester United have had a busy summer rebuilding their attack to accommodate Ruben Amorim’s infamous 3-4-2-1 system. There were two major departures in the forward area, with two academy graduates leaving the team.
Alejandro Garnacho joins Chelsea on a permanent deal, while Marcus Rashford joins Barcelona on loan with an option to buy.
Of course, the Red Devils needed to sign replacements, and two players made big-money moves to Old Trafford. One of them is Brian Mbeumo, who has been at his best since arriving from Brentford.
Matheus Cunha also shone after his summer move from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
But it doesn’t seem like this is the end for United, as they have other attacking targets lined up.
Latest updates on Manchester United’s forward search
The signings of Mbeumo and Cunha cannot be ignored, as they have performed well since moving to Old Trafford. Cameroon star Mbeumo was particularly impressive, scoring seven goals and assisting in just 12 games for the Red Devils.
Now, INEOS may be looking to further increase their firepower up front with the signing of Borussia Dortmund and German forward Karim Adeyemi.
Sky Sports Germany reported that the 13-time Premier League winner is “in talks” with his agent Jorge Mendes over a possible move for the attacker.
Adeyemi, 23, is out of contract in June 2027, but it is unclear at this stage whether he will extend his stay at Signal Iduna Park.
This could give them the chance to mount an onslaught on United and other top European clubs.
The amount paid if the transfer goes ahead is unconfirmed, but there is a rumored new contract with a release clause of £70.5 million, which Dortmund could demand.
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In the 2025/26 season, Adeyemi’s performance was impressive, and his goals and assists were also good. Still, he is an important player for Dortmund, showing great versatility by playing on either flank or as a number nine.
The German international, who has 11 caps this season, has appeared in 14 games so far, finding the back of the net three times and assisting three goals. The Athletic’s German soccer correspondent Seb Stafford-Bloer said he thought this was “the best football of his career”.
Perhaps this impressive form is a continuation of his most successful season to date in the famous yellow shirt in 2024/25. He made 41 appearances, scoring 12 goals and providing 11 assists, including a famous hat-trick against Celtic in the Champions League.
If United bring Adeyemi to the club, he could become the second coming of Garnacho, with the pair noted as statistically similar players in the position in Europe’s top five leagues, according to FBref.
The Argentine shows his former club what they are missing by selling him this summer. Garnacho has already scored two goals and provided two assists in 10 games for Chelsea.
For Red Devils fans, it could be a sale that will always leave them wondering what happened. The former number 17 showed flashes of brilliance at the club, but struggled when Amorim took over.
He scored 10 goals and provided an assist under the Portuguese manager’s guidance, including a stunning goal against Brentford.
You can see how similar the players are. Both are fast, direct wingers who use their pace well to attack defenders. On top of that, the underlying numbers this season are similar.
For example, Adeyemi, described as a “pace monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, is averaging 1.43 key passes per 90 minutes, while Garnacho is averaging 1.58 key passes per game.
Comparison of key statistics between Adeyemi and Garnacho | ||
|---|---|---|
State (per 90) | Adeyemi | grenache |
goals and assists | 0.54 | 0.79 |
key pass | 1.43 | 1.58 |
The action that creates the shot | 4.47 | 3.15 |
Take-up completed | 2.32 | 1.32 |
Number of balls collected | 2.86 | 2.89 |
Statistics from FBref | ||
Both attackers are versatile forwards who can play as number 10s or wing-backs under Amorim. They display similar creativity in the final third and have blistering speed that can hurt defenders.
There is no doubt that £70.5m is a large amount of money for the German. However, Adeyemi could improve the quality of United’s attack and become one of the most exciting academy graduates in recent years.
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