Arsenal have been dealt a huge transfer blow as Karim Adeyemi looks to be closing in on a move to Borussia Dortmund, according to reports.
Spanish news outlet Sport, via its reporter Toni Juanmarti, claims that the 19-year-old's representatives told them this: "Two days ago, we said a definitive 'no' to Barcelona's proposal for Adeyemi. Barca is NO longer an option for Karim. The best thing for him is a German club."
Adeyemi has been strongly linked with a move away from Red Bull Salzburg after showing some sparkling form in Austria so far this season.
The teenage sensation, who Sky Germany report will leave Salzburg next year for around £35million, has scored 18 goals in all competitions so far this term for the Austrian outfit.
The young German forward has been linked with Arsenal as a result of the sensational form he has been showing, with the Mirror reporting last month that the Gunners were interested in making a move for the teenage prodigy.
However, his representatives seem to prefer a move to Germany for their client.
The news comes around the same time as Arsenal have appointed former Bayern Munich scout Florian Burchel, who will be focusing on picking up the latest talent from Germany.
football.london reported on Monday evening that Arsenal have bolstered their scouting department with the arrival of the 37-year-old, who spent over a decade in Munich.
Burchel's role at the Emirates Stadium will be as the club's International First Team Scout for Germany, where he will combine traditional scouting methods with video analysis and next-gen player profiling.
There's no doubt that Burchel will be well aware of the talent of Adeyemi, with Bayern said to be one of the numerous clubs interested in his signature.
Adeyemi, when speaking about his future in October, admitted he was "honoured" by some of the top clubs in Europe keeping close tabs on him.
He said: "I am very relaxed about it (his future). I feel honoured, but nothing more. I have my focus here at Salzburg. We play well together, it works perfectly."
