Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac has denied rumors of tensions with player Karim Adeyemi, heaping praise on the German instead.
There had been reports this season that all's not well between Adeyemi and Kovac, which even fueled the former's exit rumors.
But now the Croatian has come clean on the issue, denying any rift between him and Adeyemi, whom he also labeled a 'decent baloke'.
In a podcast with Bild called 'Phrasenmaher', he called:
"I speak to all my players, but I've spent the most time talking to Karim since I arrived. I really admire him; he's a unique character, a great lad, and a decent bloke."
Adeyemi has been a key player for the Black and Yellows since joining from Red Bull Salzburg in 2022 but has garnered his fare share of criticism this season for lacking consistency as well as antiques, such as losing his cool on the pitch.
Amid this, rumors of his relationship with manager Kovac being on the rocks also surfaced as the German international was said to likely depart Signal Iduna Park this summer because of that.
Kovac hailed the player as a 'good lad' who could achieve a lot more if he refines his skills but also urged Adeyemi to instil faith in the manager.
"In my view, Adeyemi is sometimes too much of a good boy. He's not a bad lad, and I firmly believe he can become a truly great footballer if he makes certain adjustments. But for that to happen, he needs to trust me a bit more."
Since joining in 2022, the winger has made 144 appearances for Dortmund in all competitions, including 96 in the Bundesliga, while scoring 36 goals and making a further 24 assists. However, a trophy continues to elude him with Adeyemi coming the closest in 2024 when his team reached the Champions League finals that year but lost to Real Madrid.
Adeyemi is under contract with the BVB until 2027, but his future remains unclear. Talks of contract extension remains in a limbo, as per reports by Sport Bild. His salary expectations have been a stumbling block, and so has any liklihood of a release clause coming into effect from summer 2027 onwards. But if talks fall apart, an exit would be likely.
Clubs from Premier League, Serie A and LaLiga are reportedly monitoring his situation and would be chomping at the bit to acquire his signatures if he's available.
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