Despite most eyes still being on Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé’s transfer sagas, there’s another young striker who is getting a lot of attention from some of the top European clubs: Karim Adeyemi from Red Bull Salzburg.
The German forward has scored fifteen goals in 25 appearances so far this season and has been linked to Liverpool, PSG, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
After impressing for SpVgg Unterhaching U19 with 20 goals in 28 games, Red Bull Salzburg were quick to act and secure his services when he was 16, paying 3.35 million euros to get him to Austria.
At first, Adeyemi played for Liefering (RB Salzburg B) in the Austrian 2nd Division, where he scored 15 goals and assisted another 12 in just 35 appearances.
He also featured for Salzburg U19 in the UEFA Youth League, registering three goals and seven assists in 9 games.
It was obvious that the German younster was ready for a bigger challenge.
Since his debut for Salzburg in May 2020 under Jesse Marsch, Adeyemi has played 75 games, scored 25 goals and assisted another 17.
Karim Adeyemi’s fast rise has earned him his first three caps for Germany and he has responded with a goal and an assist in just 48 minutes.
Karim Adeyemi Player Profile
As the Data profile above shows, Karim Adeyemi stands out as a rapid forward who can play wide or as a striker.
His capacity to run in behind and get into scoring positions is amazing.
He can also use his pace to dribble and create chances for himself.
Technically good, the 19-year-old uses both feet comfortably and even has some quality to create chances with his passes even if it’s not his main attribute.
In this Karim Adeyemi data analysis, we have used our exclusive xGOLD tool to find four players statistically similar to the RB Salzburg’s diamond.
As a rule of this RB Salzburg’s recruitment analysis, all scouted players must be under 19 years old and still unknown to the big public (valued at 1 million euros or less on transfermarkt).
The analysis of the best four results with similar statistics to Adeyemi’s is presented here.
All the radars in this data analysis show the percentiles comparing each player to the rest of the strikers in their league.
For example, a higher value on shots per 90 doesn’t mean that player takes more shots, it means he takes more shots than a higher percentage of strikers in his league.
We must take into account the difference in level when interpreting the radars as it isn’t the same to perform in the Austrian Bundesliga, the 2. Liga, the League of Ireland, the K1 League or the Norwegian OBOS-ligaen.
Dorgeles Nene – 18 Years Old , FC Liefering – 87% Similarity
Dorgeles Nene is a Malian forward who started his career at Guidars FC in Mali before being snatched by the Red Bull network.
The 18-year-old joined Liefering this past January and since then played 31 games in the Austrian 2. Liga, scoring ten goals and assisting another eleven, totaling 0.97 goal contributions per 90.
With 1.11 goal contributions per 90 so far this 2021/22 season and an 87% statistical similarity with Karim Adeyemi, the Malian seems to be the obvious choice to substitute the German.
Karim Adeyemi Vs Dorgeles Nene – Attacking Metrics Chart
Nene is as dominant as Adeyemi in touches in the box (6.24 per 90), non-penalty goals (0.56 per 90), goal conversion (18.6%), dribbles (66.03 per 90) and shots (3.02 per 90).
The 18-year-old shoots from less dangerous positions (0.13 xG/shot and 0.38 xG per 90), which translates into a worse shot accuracy (39.53%) when compared to Adeyemi.
Very versatile, the Malian can start wide or central but usually ends the attacks near the goal.
Dorgeles Nene’s pace and acceleration are unbelievable, he’s deadly when he can run into space, needs just a couple of meters to leave rivals behind and dribbles very easily with his superior speed.
Technically good, Nene’s first touch is excellent to control passes in behind and quickly shoot.
The Liefering talent uses both feet to shoot with power but needs to improve his shot selection as he takes too many shots from too far.
Still an inconsistent finisher but his technique is good so it’s likely to improve.
Karim Adeyemi Vs Dorgeles Nene – Passing Metrics Chart
Playing more as a winger than Adeyemi and in a very dominant team, Nene ranks better in every passing metric we’ve considered.
His involvement in the attacks and ability to create chances (0.98 key passes and 0.25 xA per 90) are absolutely outstanding in the 2. Liga.
The Malian gets involved in combinations in the final third and can also play in the half-spaces, showing some quality details and a great awareness of his surroundings.
Dorgeles is dynamic to pass and move.
By coming deep to get the ball he opens up spaces in behind to exploit with his speed.
Being two-footed helps him a lot as it opens up more passing options
The 18-year-old doesn’t need many touches to find solutions.
When he’s wide, he gets the ball into very good positions in the box and also has the quality to play long balls over the defensive line.
Karim Adeyemi Vs Dorgeles Nene – Defensive Metrics Chart
In defence, Nene is more involved in defensive duels than Adeyemi and ranks very well in possession-adjusted interceptions (3.51 per 90).
Neither of them stands out for their aerial ability.
The Malian uses his speed to press and is very agile to get the ball if the rival leaves any door open.
Dorgeles is very mobile to intercept passes and lively to win duels and loose balls despite not being super strong.
He works hard to track back to recover his defensive position in transitions and isn’t afraid of tackling.
Despite not being big (1.74m), he still competes in the air.
Nene has everything to be a star.
Only with his speed, which is level with the world’s best, the 18-year-old would be a very dangerous player playing under RB Salzburg’s tactics.
On top of that, he adds being two-footed, extremely dynamic and mobile to dribble and get into scoring positions, two-footed and technically gifted to combine and assist and a very hard-working player in defence.
Dorgeles Nene is more a winger than a striker but could adapt to playing more centrally
The FC Liefering standout could be an amazing substitute to Adeyemi as he knows RB Salzburg’s formation, is already adapted to the team and wouldn’t cost any money to Die Rotten Bullen.
In essence, a no-brainer.
Elias Hoff Melkersen – 18 Years Old, Ranheim – 89% Similarity
Melkersen is a Norwegian striker or winger who came through the academy at Bodø/Glimt but has played the majority of his short career on loan, first at IL Hödd in the Norwegian third division (four goals in 7 games) and since March 2021 at Ranheim IL in the second division (nineteen goals in 29 games so far this season).
With 1.02 goal contributions per 90 in his senior career so far, big things are expected from Elias.
He’s currently a Norway U20 player (2 goals in 3 games) and has played for the U18 and U17 national teams before.
With the highest similarity in our shortlist and coming from a country in which RB Salzburg have shopped very well in the past (Erling Haaland as the primary example) but with a transfermarkt value of just €250,000, taking Elias Hoff Melkersen now should be an affordable operation.
Karim Adeyemi Vs Elias Hoff Melkersen – Attacking Metrics Chart
From his offensive profile, Melkersen seems a “purer” striker than Adeyemi.
One of the best players in his league in shots (3.3 per 90), expected goals (0.57 xG per 90), non-penalty goals (0.65 per 90) and goal conversion (25%), he ranks better than the RB Salzburg player in head goals (0.13 per 90) but worse in dribbles (3.65 per 90)
This data suggests the Norwegian has more presence in the box and less far from it.
However, Elias still ranks well in all the considered metrics so it’s more a small matter of position than a completely different style.
Very mobile, agile and lively in tight spaces, Melkersen turns very quickly and is very flexible.
The 18-year-old also has some dribbling ability as he manipulates the ball very well and stops/accelerates very quickly.
His excellent first touch helps him turn, get away from rivals and create space to finish.
Excellent movements to get into scoring positions, running across the defence to avoid being caught offside and then going in behind when the pass is made.
The Ranheim IL youngster’s also attacks the near post in the box and anticipates the defenders to poach goals.
Elias Hoff Melkersen’s shooting technique is very good: first touch, both feet, acrobatic.
He’s aggressive to attack the ball in crosses and has a good jump to win aerials and score despite not being tall (1.78m).
Melkersen’s finishing skills are good as the Norqegian is able to shoot with both feet as proven by him scoring at a higher rate than expected.
Karim Adeyemi Vs Elias Hoff Melkersen – Passing Metrics Chart
The passing profile shows more differences.
Melkersen seems to drop deeper to get in contact with the ball as evidenced by his higher ranking in passes per 90 (15.51).
However, his passes are usually simple and despite being accurate (75.35%) they don’t create a lot of danger (0.05 xA per 90).
Melkersen likes to come to the second line to receive with his back to the goal.
His great first touch allows him to control the ball and escape pressure to then play quick passes and move forward to get into scoring positions from the second line.
The Norwegian winger is capable of some quality flicks and layoffs too.
When he’s close to the box he tends to finish even when there are good passing options.
Karim Adeyemi Vs Elias Hoff Melkersen – Defensive Metrics Chart
Defensively, we can see the difference in size and in both teams’ tactics as Melkersen contests and wins more aerials than Adeyemi (30.83% of his 5.78 aerials per 90).
He also gets into more defensive duels (5.34 per 90) and fouls more (2.04 per 90), probably because Ranheim IL is less possession-dominant but when looking at possession-adjusted interceptions, he is very close to Karim Adeyemi (2.23 per 90 for Melkersen).
Good timing to compete in the air, wins a fair share of his aerial duels considering he’s not especially tall.
Works hard and is aggressive when pressing.
Would adapt easily to RB Salzburg’s pressing tactics.
Of course, Melkersen is still playing at a quite low level but the things the 18-year-old is doing there at such a young age are amazing and speak of his potential.
More of a striker than Nene, Elias is still mobile, very lively and excellent with his movements in the final third.
On top of that, Melkersen can combine in the second line and shows great technique in all his actions.
With him, RB Salzburg would get yet another Norwegian exciting striker (following in Erling Haaland’s footsteps) who could be playing for the first team very soon (following in Erling Haaland’s footsteps) .
Johnny Kenny – 18 Year Old, Sligo Rovers – 89% Similarity
Johnny Kenny is an Irish striker who always played for Sligo Rovers.
He came through the club’s academy and made his professional debut in March 2021, aged just 17.
Since then, Kenny has played 32 games, scoring twelve goals and assisting another two.
He’s part of the Republic of Ireland’s U19 national team and has scored a goal in each of his three appearances.
With 0.58 goal contributions per 90 in his first senior season, 2003-born Johnny Kenny must have been catching the attention of several clubs, especially in the United Kingdom.
Valued at just €75,000 by transfermarkt, any transfer over the €70,000 mark would make Kenny the most expensive sale in Sligo Rover’s history over Seamus Coleman’s transfer to Everton in 2009.
With Irish players skipping the work permit rules in English and Scottish football, his potential resale value automatically multiplies.
Karim Adeyemi Vs Johnny Kenny – Attacking Metrics Chart
Kenny looks similar to Adeyemi in his activity in and around the box (3.25 shots and 4.04 touches in the box per 90) and the Irishman’s ability to get good chances and score goals (0.37 non-penalty goals from 0.55 xG per 90).
Despite that, Kenny doesn’t dribble as much as Adeyemi (2.58 dribbles per 90) and his conversion rate is still low (14.1%).
The 18-year-old uses his good pace very well to run in behind with great timing and receive long passes over the defensive line.
Johnny knows how to create space for his runs by coming deep and dragging a defender with him.
Once he receives the pass, he controls and finishes with limited touches and uses both feet to do it.
When he comes from the left he has some ability to dribble and create space for his shots.
Johnny Kenny’s finishing is inconsistent, as the Irish youth international usually shoots on goal but not always with good shots as shown by his underperformance of his xG.
Karim Adeyemi Vs Johnny Kenny – Passing Metrics Chart
Both players are more similar in their passing skills.
Kenny isn’t especially involved in the attacks but once he gets the ball he can create as evidenced by his 0.29 key passes and 1.83 passes to the box per 90.
The Sligo Rovers’ talent doesn’t have Adeyemi’s passing accuracy but that’s explained in part by his higher average pass length (17.45 meters).
With all his running in behind, Johnny Kenny often gets the ball wide.
From there, he quickly looks to play the ball into the box and even if he’s not super creative, the 18-year-old still creates chances with intelligent passes.
He doesn’t participate a lot in the second line as his movements are mostly into space but still shows some ability to receive with his back to the goal and hold the ball.
Karim Adeyemi Vs Johnny Kenny – Defensive Metrics Chart
Off the ball, Kenny gets into more duels both on the ground and in the air, mostly because his team doesn’t dominate as much as RB Salzburg, but doesn’t stand out in any defensive metric in particular.
Being the target of so many balls in behind, Johhny Kenny also contests a lot of aerials when those passes aren’t powerful enough.
The Irish youngster also works hard in defence and makes it difficult to play around him but isn’t a great player in duels and still could build some muscle.
Kenny would be a risky option as the playing standard in the League of Ireland is far away from the Austrian Bundesliga.
However, scoring as he’s doing at just 18 years old is something that can’t be ignored.
Furthermore, he runs in behind time and time again relentlessly like Adeyemi so he would fit very well in the German’s current role at Salzburg.
Kenny’s technique is ok and his finishing works at his current level but would need to improve at a higher level.
Johnny Kenny would be a cheap gamble and it shouldn’t be difficult to put him in Scottish or English football at a decent price if it doesn’t work out, so the risk would be minimal.
Sang-bin Jeong – 19 Years Old, Suwon Bluewings – 88% Similarity
Sang-bin Jeong is a South Korean forward who came through the academy at his current club, Suwon Bluewings.
He has only played 30 senior games, scoring six goals and grabbing two assists to reach the 0.38 goal contributions per 90 in his career so far.
Jeong has been part of the U16 and U17 South Korean national teams and currently moves between the U19, the U20 and the senior squads.
In June 2021, he played his senior international debut (and only game so far) against Sri Lanka and scored one goal.
Valued at €900,000 on transfermarkt, Sang-bin Jeong is one of the brightest prospects in South Korean football.
Karim Adeyemi Vs Sang-bin Jeong – Attacking Metrics Chart
Looking at the offensive radar, we see Jeong plays more as a winger, resembling Adeyemi in his high number of dribbles (3.8 per 90).
Despite not shooting or getting into the box too often (1.69 shots and 2.97 touches in the box per 90), the Korean still scores 0.32 non-penalty goals per 90 from just 0.29 xG per 90.
His shooting accuracy (48.65%) and goal conversion (18.9%) are excellent.
Very quick on and off the ball, Jeong takes the ball in central areas or wide and runs at the defensive line using his speed to create space to shoot.
A very direct player, the 19-year-old often takes the ball deep and looks to finish the play by dribbling and then shooting.
He’s skilled in 1v1 and very difficult to control as he stops and accelerates with ease and doesn’t mind going left or right.
Also good at running in behind and is very lively to find space in the box.
Sang-bin Jeong’s finishing is quite good, his shots are powerful and quite accurate and he uses either foot.
Karim Adeyemi Vs Sang-bin Jeong – Passing Metrics Chart
On the passing radar, both players are almost identical.
Sang-bin Jeong gets in contact with the ball even less often than Karim Adeyemi (just 15.97 passes per 90) and the Korean’s best statistic here is passes to the box per 90 (1.6).
Despite his small size (1.73m), the Suwon Bluewings youngster can receive with his back to the goal and use his low centre of gravity to hold the ball and turn.
With his direct style, a very high percentage of Jeong passes are aimed at the box.
He has shown some ability to play through passes with quality but it’s not a key feature of Sang-bin Jeong style of play.
Karim Adeyemi Vs Sang-bin Jeong – Defensive Metrics Chart
Defensively, Jeong is quite poor and doesn’t stand out in any metric.
It looks like he’s quite aggressive with 1.37 fouls per 90 but still needs a lot of improvement off the ball.
Like Adeyemi, the Korean is capable of playing from either wing or upfront and it doesn’t change his style of play too much.
The 19-year-old is very direct both on and off the ball and always has the goal in his mind.
This means he doesn’t combine or pass the ball around too much, preferring to use his pace to get forward with runs or dribbles and shoot as soon as he has the chance.
Jeong’s finishing and scoring record are good for a player of his age, especially considering South Korean players often take longer to reach their peak.
Playing at a more than decent level in the K1 League, Sang-bin Jeong could be the next top South Korean forward, following the footsteps of names like Heung-min Son or Hee-chan Hwang.
Conclusion
As usual, Red Bull Salzburg seem ready to sell one of their stars and already have a great replacement at home with Dorgeles Nene.
The other three players would be cheap gambles who can take Nene’s place at FC Liefering to see how they adapt and eventually move to the first team too.
Using statistics to identify possible replacements at a young age is a great way of being prepared for any eventuality and discovering the exact type of player a club is looking for anywhere in the world.
