Karim Adeyemi, the winger for Borussia Dortmund, has found himself in the spotlight for reasons beyond his performance on the field, facing criticism from World Cup champion Sami Khedira. This comes after Adeyemi’s visible frustration following his substitution during Dortmund’s 2-0 victory against Borussia Monchengladbach on Friday night.
In the match, Dortmund’s manager Niko Kovac decided to substitute Adeyemi at the 60-minute mark. However, Adeyemi, who is also a target for Manchester United, did not take the change lightly. As he left the pitch, he bypassed the Dortmund bench and made his way directly to the locker room, an action that prompted discussions off the field.
Analyzing Adeyemi’s reaction, Khedira, now a pundit with DAZN, didn’t hold back his criticism. He described the young player’s behavior as ‘disrespectful’ towards both his coach and teammates, highlighting the importance of maintaining professionalism and team spirit even in moments of personal disappointment.
Khedira’s comments, as reported by BILD, underline the expectation that players show respect for their coach’s decisions, emphasizing that exiting to the locker room prematurely sends the wrong message to the rest of the team. This incident has sparked a debate on player conduct, especially in high-stakes environments like the Bundesliga.
‘To pull off such an action is not good,’ the DAZN pundit is quoted as per BILD.
Karim Adeyemi has been criticised for being ‘disrespectful’ after reacting angrily after being substituted during Borussia Dortmund’s 2-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach on Friday
The 23-year-old winger has been linked with a £70million move to Manchester United
Adeyemi’s wife (right) is believed to want his next move to be to a major European city
‘Going into the locker room early is somewhat disrespectful to your coach and, above all, to your teammates.
‘You can be angry with the coach, but you support your team, your team-mates. Because they are the ones on the pitch and they notice things like that.’
Kherdira’s words were echoed by Sky’s Dietmar Hamann who said on Saturday: ‘He didn’t play well yesterday.
‘You can’t go into the dressing room in the last game of the first half of the season and not watch the last half hour. I just can’t wrap my head around it.’
Adeyemi now faces being fined by Dortmund with Kehl unimpressed by his antics.
‘I told him, `You’re not going to the locker room, sit down,’ and to be honest the substitution was partly justified. Karim didn’t have a good game,’ Kehl told broadcaster Sky after the game.
‘It just doesn’t work like this. The coach makes a decision and the players need to accept that,’ he added. ‘We don’t want to see this reaction and so he’ll get a fine for that.’
The fallout of Friday adds to speculation about the 23-year-old’s future at the club.
The Germany international is under contract at the German giants until 2027, having joined from Red Bull Salzburg three years ago, but is attracting interest from many of Europe’s top clubs.
United are said to be one of those interested in prying the German winger away from Signal Iduna Park, and he is understood to be pushing for a release clause of around £70million to be included in a contract extension, paving the way for an exit.
With speculation surrounding Adeyemi’s future now hotting up, it has come to light that the Dortmund star’s wife, rapper Loredana, is keen on a move away from his motherland.
German media outlet BILD have reported that Loredana wants her other half’s next move to be ‘in a European metropolis’, or in other words, a major city in Europe.
Such desires are believed to have given the young attacker food for thought as discussions continue behind the scenes regarding his potential exit from BVB.
Adeyemi and Swiss music star, Loredana, have been together since meeting in 2023, and were wed a year later in a private ceremony.
Adeyemi’s future at Dortmund has been clouded by uncertainty for a number of months, due to the problems both on and off the pitch – with Friday the latest example of that.
Dortmund typically do not include release clauses in contracts, such as the one being pushed for by the German’s entourage, but reports have suggested that an exception could be made in Adeyemi’s case.
United have reportedly been alerted to the German’s situation. Adeyemi has recently enlisted the services of super agent Jorge Mendes, who maintains excellent contacts at Old Trafford.
Mendes, who has facilitated United’s moves for Leny Yoro and Manuel Ugarte, seemingly holds the key to a switch from Dortmund to Manchester for the attacker.
Ruben Amorim invested heavily in his attack over the summer, bringing in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko for a combined £214m.
