"Karim must wait": Kovac explains why Adeyemi is on the BVB bench | OneFootball

After the turn of the year, Karim Adeyemi has become only a substitute at BVB and must wait his turn. Coach Niko Kovac explains why strong competition, training performances, and rotation are currently working against the attacking player.

At Borussia Dortmund, Karim Adeyemi has been pushed into the background at the start of the new year. The attacking player recently lost his regular spot, only making brief appearances in the Bundesliga—and coach Niko Kovac has now openly explained the reasons. The main focus is on internal competition.

Before the home match on Saturday (3:30 p.m.) against FC St. Pauli, Kovac especially praised Adeyemi’s direct rival: “Maxi Beier has done really well. That’s why he deserves to play,” said the BVB coach, referring to Maximilian Beier, who has recently impressed with strong performances.

Other attacking players have also pushed themselves into the spotlight through their training performances. For Adeyemi, this has meant only a substitute role for now. In the 3-3 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt, he was only allowed on for about a quarter of an hour, and in the 3-0 win over Werder Bremen, just a few minutes. Kovac made it clear that patience is needed: “Karim has to wait and hope for his chance.”

Nevertheless, the coach sees a fundamental perspective. In view of the many matches in January and more midweek fixtures, Kovac announced rotation: “We still have many games in January, so we will definitely rotate. That’s very clear.” Hardly any player can play every match in this phase—except for a few key positions.

Contract talks stalled: Adeyemi’s future at BVB remains open

The sporting situation comes at an inconvenient time for Adeyemi. With an eye on the upcoming World Cup, the 23-year-old actually wants to showcase himself regularly. In addition, his future in Dortmund is up for discussion. Talks about extending his contract, which runs until 2027, are said to have stalled.

A transfer is not a given at the moment. According to Bild, there are no concrete offers from other clubs, even though there have reportedly been loose contacts with international heavyweights. At the same time, there has been speculation about a possible departure—also because Adeyemi’s wife, rapper Loredana, is said to be able to imagine a future in a European metropolis.

Adeyemi also caused a stir after the Bremen match, when he allegedly left the stadium unusually early and before some teammates—apparently out of frustration over his role.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.