Karim Adeyemi no longer plies his trade in the Austrian Bundesliga, having joined Dortmund in the summer of 2022 after notching 19 goals in 29 league appearances for Red Bull Salzburg.
It’s not a bad return for a 20-year-old. It’s why top Karim Adeyemi rookie cards are starting to sell for eye-watering prices. Upon signing for Dortmund, he said;
“As a little boy, I was fascinated by Dortmund’s fast-paced tempo football,” said the young striker on the Dortmund website. “That’s why I quickly decided that I would like to join BVB when I heard about Dortmund’s interest. I also consciously signed for the long term because I am convinced that we will be an exciting team that, with the support of the fantastic Dortmund fans, will be able to play for and win titles in the medium term.”
The German international looks like he could be a prolific striker. We’ve taken the opportunity to look at some of the best Karim Adeyemi RCs to collect as he begins his hunt for trophies in earnest.
The Best Karim Adeyemi Rookie Cards
Adeyemi made his 2. Liga debut for Salzburg on 1 September 2018. He had to wait until the 2020/21 season to be featured on cards with an RC logo attached. We’ll take you through five great Adeyemi rookie card options below.
5. 2020-21 Topps Finest UCL Karim Adeyemi RC #KA (eBay)
2020-21 Topps Finest UEFA Champions League is a great place to start. Prices tend to be far lower than you’ll find with Topps Chrome sets seen below. The Finest collection contains a number of signed Adeyemi rookie cards which should be seen as an underrated investment option.
As with every card to make the list, it features a simple action shot of Adeyemi in a red Salzburg kit. The addition of UCL logos also makes it more appealing for collectors, especially as he previously played in an unfancied league.
There’s a decent number of Refractor parallels, limited to 150 or fewer.
- Refractor Parallels: Blue #/150, Neon Green #/99, Neon Green Wave #/99, Gold #/50, Orange #/25, Orange Wave #/25, Red #/5, Red Wave #/5, SuperFractor 1/1
Check prices of 2020-21 Topps Finest UCL Karim Adeyemi RC on eBay
4. 2020-21 Topps Museum Collection Karim Adeyemi RC #KA (eBay)
The 2020-21 Topps Museum Collection contains a range of interesting Adeyemi RCs. None can improve upon the Museum Autograph Jumbo Relics subset, with a large patch set atop his signature.
The base version of the Relic is a cheaper option than you might have expected, despite being a serial numbered release from a premium collection. There’s also an unsigned version (with Adeyemi in a white kit) which is far more affordable.
- Parallels: Gold #/50, Ruby #/25, Emerald 1/1
Check prices of 2020-21 Topps Museum Collection Karim Adeyemi RC on eBay
3. 2020-21 Topps Chrome UCL Karim Adeyemi RC #99 (eBay)
2020-21 Topps Chrome is a flagship release, and is one of the most popular soccer sets from Adeyemi’s rookie season.
As you’d expect from any modern Topps Chrome collection, there’s a rainbow of colored chromium parallel cards to look out for, to an almost excessive degree. That won’t matter much if you happen to have one of the rarer versions, especially judging by current prices.
- Parallels: Refractor (1:3), Speckle (1:9), Pink X-Fractor, Yellow Mini-Diamond #/299, Purple #/250, Purple Mini-Diamond #/250, Purple Carbon Fiber, Aqua #/199, Aqua Wave #/199, Pink #/175, Pink Mini-Diamond #/175, Blue #/150, Aqua Bubbles, Blue Bubbles, Neon Green #/99, Neon Green Bubbles, Blue Wave #/75, Gold Bubbles, Gold #/50, Orange #/25, Orange Bubbles, Red Carbon Fiber, Red #/10, Red Wave #/5, SuperFractor 1/1
Check prices of 2020-21 Topps Chrome UCL Karim Adeyemi RC on eBay
2. 2020-21 Topps Chrome UCL Sapphire Karim Adeyemi RC #99 (eBay)
Didn’t we just discuss this card above? Despite the same image being used, this edition is found in an exclusive Sapphire version of the base 2020-21 Topps Chrome UCL set.
2020-21 Topps Chrome Sapphire Edition UEFA Champions League offers an assortment of different base cards, parallels and a few image variations. It was an online-exclusive product that went out of stock instantly. There are no autos, but that hasn’t stopped collectors from taking notice.
Some of the Sapphire Adeyemi RC parallels can sell for four figures when graded. It’s another option that shouldn’t be disregarded.
- Sapphire Parallels: Aqua #/150, Yellow #/99, Green #/75, Orange #/50, Purple #/25, Red #/5, Padparadscha 1/1
Check prices of 2020-21 Topps Chrome Sapphire UCL Karim Adeyemi RC on eBay
1. 2020-21 Topps Chrome UCL Karim Adeyemi RC #KA (eBay)
A signed version of Adeyemi’s RC easily takes the top spot on this list. It features the same action shot as many of the others, but also benefits from the famous Topps Chrome branding.
Meanwhile, it’s the only signed edition of the similar cards to make the top three spots. It was always likely to sell for a premium in comparison if you’re looking at equivalent numbered parallels. If we can only pick one Karim Adeyemi rookie card, this is likely to be it.
- Parallels: Blue #/150, Neon Green #/99, Blue Wave #/75, Gold #/50, Gold Bubbles, Orange #/25, Orange Bubbles, Red #/10, Red Wave #/5, SuperFractor 1/1
Check prices of 2020-21 Topps Chrome UCL Karim Adeyemi RC Auto on eBay
Karim Adeyemi Rookie Cards: Buyers Guide
Here’s what we think of the current market for Karim Adeyemi Rookie Cards, following his decision to sign with Dortmund in the summer of 2022.
The Best Cheap Karim Adeyemi Rookie Cards
Base versions of recent soccer sets are reasonably affordable. It’s not difficult to add a few cheaper Adeyemi rookie cards to your personal collection. We’d keep an eye on his progress with Dortmund in any case.
When it comes to numbered parallels, you can’t really go wrong with any of the Adeyemi rookie cards that have made the list. Of course, you’ll be paying a premium price for any of his rarest RCs. The Sapphire set is tempting, as is the Topps Chrome UCL RC autograph.
Karim Adeyemi Rookie Cards: Buying/Selling Advice
Adeyemi might not be quite as hyped as the likes of Erling Haaland, but he’s following a similar path to success. If he can replicate his previous scoring form for Dortmund, we could be looking at one of the most exciting strikers in world football over the next few years. It’s a big if, but he’s on the right track.
He’s already scored his first international goal, during his debut for the Germany senior team in a 6–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification win over Armenia on 5 September 2021. (Adeyemi came on as a late substitute and bagged his side’s final goal.)
It’s clear to see why prices for Adeyemi rookie cards are so high, even if there is an element of risk with any wunderkind.