German insider explains story of Chelsea interest in €50m attacker many fans didn’t want | OneFootball

At the start of January, it looked very likely that Chelsea would sign an attacker.

Nicolas Jackson was the only senior striker available, and his form was starting to fade. Mykhailo Mudryk was suspended indefinitely, and Joao Felix was set to leave for AC Milan. Everything seemed to be lining up for the Blues to add an attacking option, and the rumours were certainly strong in a few directions.

At one point, the player being linked most intensely was Karim Adeyemi or Borussia Dortmund. It wasn’t a universally popular move among Blues fans, who weren’t sure he would offer a significant upgrade on what they already had. But the more we hear about the story of his January, the more it makes sense.

Adeyemi saga explained by insider

Karim Adeyemi celebrates a goal for Germany.

Journalist Christian Falk, who covers German football for Bild, explained that it wasn’t really Chelsea or Dortmund pushing the move or the rumours around it, but instead Adeyemi’s agent.

“[Adeyemi] didn’t really want to leave in the winter either. His old agent, Ali Barat, who was a bit of a driving force, wanted to accommodate him. He offered him to Napoli and Chelsea,” Falk said in quotes picked up by SportWitness.

“As a result, he left Barat and is now with [player agency] Roof. He’s taking a look at Dortmund. A sale is not mandatory. Dortmund were also expecting it, but if he performs well, the chapter can continue,” Falk explained.

Falk goes on to explain that with a new manager in place at Dortmund and with new representation, the rapid attacker looks much more likely to stay long term and sign a new contract. So those Chelsea fans who weren’t keen on the club spending €50m+ on him will be happy to hear his chances of coming here are very much diminished.