Karim Adeyemi has experienced a dramatic fall from grace at Borussia Dortmund this year, seeing his playing time plummet from a prominent role to barely 600 minutes across 2026. The 24-year-old forward's omission from Germany's World Cup squad crystallises a troubling trajectory that few predicted when he was among BVB's standout performers in the first half of the season.
The contrast is stark. Between August and December, Adeyemi was Dortmund's most consistent attacking weapon, contributing nine goal involvements (six goals, three assists) while starting 16 matches. He looked like a player destined for major tournament football. Yet after the new year, his fortunes reversed entirely. Manager Niko Kovac restricted him to just six starts across 17 competitive appearances, averaging under 34 minutes per outing. That minimal pitch time proved fatal to his World Cup ambitions, particularly when national coach Julian Nagelsmann opted for alternative wingers with similar pace profiles, such as Maximilian Beier and Jamie Leweling.
The Work Ethic Question
Kovac has not hidden his frustration. During an appearance on the Bild podcast, the Croatian manager praised Adeyemi as "a uniquely good bloke" and stressed he is "not a bad person." However, he pinpointed the fundamental issue: a lack of the relentless professionalism required at elite level. "He needs to work on his precision and his attention to detail," Kovac explained, emphasising that despite possessing immense talent, Adeyemi must "make the most of every minute of training."
This criticism echoes assessments from Adeyemi's career. Former assistant coach Armin Reutershahn made nearly identical observations three years ago, suggesting the forward was occasionally "laid-back" during training sessions. Edin Terzic, the previous head coach, fully endorsed that verdict. The pattern is unmistakable: multiple professionals have identified the same shortcoming—not raw ability, but the consistency and total commitment needed to leverage that talent into sustained world-class performances.
What Lies Ahead?
Even with a muscle tear accounting for some absence, Adeyemi's struggles run deeper than injury. His output in the second half—seven goal contributions in 582 minutes—suggests he retains some potency, yet his impact as a substitute (a role he would occupy at the World Cup) has been negligible. Sporting director Lars Ricken defended his pace as an "outstanding quality," but Nagelsmann's snub signals that pace alone no longer suffices without the surrounding qualities Adeyemi has failed to demonstrate consistently.
At 24, the German international retains time to rebuild his career. Yet without a fundamental shift in attitude and application during training, his Dortmund stint risks becoming a cautionary tale of unfulfilled potential—a winger blessed with explosive speed but unable to harness it through the discipline and detail that separate good players from great ones.
