Borussia Dortmund are the favourites to sign Liverpool and Bayern Munich-linked striker Karim Adeyemi next year, GOAL can confirm.
Adeyemi has emerged as one of the hottest prospects in European football since joining Red Bull Salzburg from German minnows SpVgg Unterhaching in 2018.
The 19-year-old is currently enjoying his best season yet with Salzburg, having impressed in both the Austrian Bundesliga and Champions League, and looks set to move on to a bigger club in 2022.
Dortmund leading race for Adeyemi
Liverpool and Bayern Munich have been keeping tabs on Adeyemi's progress for some time, and GOAL understands that Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in the talented teenager.
However, Dortmund are now in pole position to sign Adeyemi, with the German having decided that Westfalenstadion is the best place for him to continue his development.
Should a compromise be reached between the two clubs, Adeyemi will follow in the footsteps of Erling Haaland, who has established himself among the top strikers on the continent since joining Dortmund from Salzburg in January 2020.
Why is Adeyemi in such high demand?
Adeyemi's stock has risen to an all-time high at the start of the 2021-22 campaign as the teenager has proven he can deliver the goods in the final third on a consistent basis.
Salzburg's prized asset has hit 15 goals in 27 appearances across all competitions to date, including four in eight Champions League outings.
Adeyemi, whose current contract is not due to expire until 2024, helped the Austrian club reach the last 16 of Europe's elite competition for the first time in their history as he starred in a 1-0 win over Sevilla in midweek.