Man United target given 400k fine for owning illegal weapon

The Red Devils are said to be weighing up a January move

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Borussia Dortmund attacker Karim Adeyemi attended a court in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and was fined £396,000 after he admitted to the offence of possession of a pair of brass knuckles and a taser, according to The Athletic.

Adeyemi's willingness to admit to the offence meant he was able to avoid a public trial and was not given a criminal record.

According to German law, possession of the banned weapons can carry a sentence of up to three years behind bars.

Adeyemi has instead been handed a fine "in accordance with his salary."

Borussia Dortmund have since spoken out about Adeyemi's fine.

As first reported in the Manchester Evening News, the club's statement reads: "BVB always takes criminal allegations seriously and uses them as an opportunity to discuss them with its employees while respecting confidentiality obligations."

The 23-year-old forward is one of the highest-rated young players in German football and has starred for Die Mannschaft in this week's World Cup qualifiers.

His form with Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, three goals and five assists already this season, has seen him linked to Manchester United.

German outlet Bild have suggested that if Adeyemi is to depart, a bid of £70 million would be required.

It remains to be seen if Ruben Amorim is tempted to make a move for the player in January, as the Red Devils aim to improve on their current 7th place position over the second half of the season.