Red Bull Salzburg star Karim Adeyemi has insisted it was ‘normal’ for him to reject the chance to join Chelsea.
The 18-year-old is currently shining for Leipzig in Austria, having returned from a successful spell with FC Liefering last season.
He’s been with the Austrian side since July 2019, when he made a £3.02m move from Unterhaching’s U19 side.
Back in 2018, though, he had the chance to make a big move to England, with Chelsea offering him and his family the chance to travel to their training complex at Cobham ahead of a potential move.
He’s spoken of rejecting Chelsea several times already and has again insisted it was a normal reaction for him when asked about the situation in a recent interview.
“First of all, it is important to me that I play regularly,” he told Sport 1.
“My focus is currently on the Austrian league. I am very happy that I have so much time here. I am fully focused on the task in Salzburg.
“I don’t know how the clubs work; after all, I don’t know the people responsible. But I would choose the club where I feel most comfortable.
“It’s not that difficult to stay on the ground. I haven’t achieved anything yet, even though I’m now playing in the first division in Austria.
“But I find it – in quotation marks – quite normal that I do not answer. My parents and family support me a lot in this. My old Unterhaching club taught me that too.
“But even at Salzburg we players are kept on the ground. There is also no reason why I should rise above other people. All people are equal.”
