# Daniel Adu-Adjei
**Daniel Adu-Adjei** (born 2005) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for [HNK Rijeka](https://www.edgepedia.org/hnk-rijeka) in the Croatian HNL.[1](https://www.premierleague.com/en/players/590760/daniel-adu-adjei/overview) • [2](https://www.fotmob.com/players/1427857/daniel-adu-adjei) A product of the [Bournemouth](https://www.edgepedia.org/bournemouth) academy, he moved to Rijeka in 2025 after loan spells at Leyton Orient and Carlisle United.[3](https://www.scottishfootballrecords.com/player/daniel-adu-adjei)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2005, England; right-footed striker[1](https://www.premierleague.com/en/players/590760/daniel-adu-adjei/overview) • [2](https://www.fotmob.com/players/1427857/daniel-adu-adjei) |
| Club | HNK Rijeka (HNL), contract to 30 June 2029[2](https://www.fotmob.com/players/1427857/daniel-adu-adjei) |
| Youth career | Brentford academy (four years), then Bournemouth from 2021, having come from Fulham[4](https://www.carlisleunited.co.uk/news/dan-adu-adjei-joins-united) |
| Youth scoring | 25 goals for Bournemouth U18 in 2021/22 and 25 for the development side in 2022/23[4](https://www.carlisleunited.co.uk/news/dan-adu-adjei-joins-united) |
| Senior loans | Leyton Orient (League One, 2023/24) and Carlisle United (League Two, 2024/25)[3](https://www.scottishfootballrecords.com/player/daniel-adu-adjei) • [4](https://www.carlisleunited.co.uk/news/dan-adu-adjei-joins-united) |
| Rijeka record | 10 goals and 6 assists in 35 league appearances since 2025[5](https://theanalyst.com/players/2702/daniel-adu-adjei/career) |
| Transfer value | €1.6 million as of 1 October 2026[2](https://www.fotmob.com/players/1427857/daniel-adu-adjei) |
## Youth career and Bournemouth
Adu-Adjei grew up in [Hammersmith](https://www.edgepedia.org/hammersmith) in west London and began playing at a Saturday football school from around age five or six. He was scouted at a friend's birthday party at a Power League venue, which led to sessions at the [Brentford](https://www.edgepedia.org/brentford) and [Tottenham](https://www.edgepedia.org/tottenham) development centers and then a trial with Brentford's academy, where he spent four years.[6](https://www.goal.com/en-us/originals/daniel-adu-adjei-london-rijeka-life-professional-footballer-croatia/blt0dbd271a3c45e4df) • [4](https://www.carlisleunited.co.uk/news/dan-adu-adjei-joins-united)
He joined Bournemouth from Fulham in 2021 and was prolific at youth level, scoring 25 goals for the under-18 side in 2021/22 and another 25 for the development side the following season.[4](https://www.carlisleunited.co.uk/news/dan-adu-adjei-joins-united) His professional debut came for Bournemouth in the [FA Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fa-cup), a 3-2 victory over QPR in which he played a single minute.[4](https://www.carlisleunited.co.uk/news/dan-adu-adjei-joins-united) • [5](https://theanalyst.com/players/2702/daniel-adu-adjei/career)
## Loans
**Leyton Orient.** In February 2024 he joined League One club Leyton Orient on loan, making 10 league appearances and scoring once in 228 minutes.[3](https://www.scottishfootballrecords.com/player/daniel-adu-adjei) • [5](https://theanalyst.com/players/2702/daniel-adu-adjei/career) Carlisle manager Paul Simpson later noted that Adu-Adjei would probably admit he had not played as many minutes as he wanted there.[4](https://www.carlisleunited.co.uk/news/dan-adu-adjei-joins-united)
**Carlisle United.** On 1 August 2024 Carlisle United signed him on a season-long loan, giving him squad number 14 at Brunton Park. Simpson described him as prolific in development football with a great goalscoring record and said he would bring something different to the club's forward options.[4](https://www.carlisleunited.co.uk/news/dan-adu-adjei-joins-united) In League Two he made 14 appearances, played 1,028 minutes, and scored 2 goals with 1 assist.[5](https://theanalyst.com/players/2702/daniel-adu-adjei/career)
## Rijeka
Adu-Adjei joined HNK Rijeka in 2025.[5](https://theanalyst.com/players/2702/daniel-adu-adjei/career) In his first HNL season, 2025/26, Opta records 27 league appearances, 1,555 minutes, 6 goals, and 3 assists, and a separate database lists 9 league appearances with 2 goals and 1 assist for the same season, a difference consistent with different competition scopes.[5](https://theanalyst.com/players/2702/daniel-adu-adjei/career) • [3](https://www.scottishfootballrecords.com/player/daniel-adu-adjei) In European competition that season he added 10 appearances, 603 minutes, and 4 goals in the UEFA Conference League.[5](https://theanalyst.com/players/2702/daniel-adu-adjei/career)
His 2026/27 start was stronger per minute: 4 goals and 3 assists in 7 league appearances and 481 minutes, including two goals against Osijek in a 4-1 win and a goal and two assists against Hajduk Split in a 3-0 win.[5](https://theanalyst.com/players/2702/daniel-adu-adjei/career) • [2](https://www.fotmob.com/players/1427857/daniel-adu-adjei) Against forwards across domestic leagues that season, he ranked in the 95th percentile for assists, the 89th for shots on target, and the 88th for goals.[7](https://www.tifolab.com/players/382160?season=2026%2F27)
## Playing style and assessment
A data-driven scouting model for the 2025/26 Croatian season gave him a Player Impact Score of 70.4 out of 100, tier B, with a dominant "Goleador" (goalscorer) archetype and secondary playmaker traits. His goals aligned with an expected-goals total of 6.4 against 6 scored, which the model read as sustainable rather than overperforming output, and it flagged crosses and fouls committed as areas to improve.[8](https://thescouter.top/jogador/daniel-adu-adjei/rijeka/hrvatska-nl/2025-2026) FotMob's comparison against other forwards places his shot attempts and goals in the upper half of the distribution while his touch volume and defensive contributions sit lower.[2](https://www.fotmob.com/players/1427857/daniel-adu-adjei)
He signed a contract running to 30 June 2029, and his transfer value reached €1.6 million on 1 October 2026.[2](https://www.fotmob.com/players/1427857/daniel-adu-adjei)
## References
1. [Daniel Adu-Adjei profile, Premier League](https://www.premierleague.com/en/players/590760/daniel-adu-adjei/overview)
2. [Daniel Adu-Adjei, FotMob](https://www.fotmob.com/players/1427857/daniel-adu-adjei)
3. [Daniel Adu-Adjei stats and transfers, Scottish Football Records](https://www.scottishfootballrecords.com/player/daniel-adu-adjei)
4. [Dan Adu-Adjei joins United, Carlisle United FC (1 August 2024)](https://www.carlisleunited.co.uk/news/dan-adu-adjei-joins-united)
5. [Daniel Adu-Adjei Career History, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/players/2702/daniel-adu-adjei/career)
6. [Daniel Adu-Adjei: London to Rijeka and life as a professional footballer in Croatia, Goal](https://www.goal.com/en-us/originals/daniel-adu-adjei-london-rijeka-life-professional-footballer-croatia/blt0dbd271a3c45e4df)
7. [Daniel Adu-Adjei, Tifolab](https://www.tifolab.com/players/382160?season=2026%2F27)
8. [Daniel Adu-Adjei Pro Scout Report, TheScouter](https://thescouter.top/jogador/daniel-adu-adjei/rijeka/hrvatska-nl/2025-2026)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of the British Isles (modern era) › English footballers 2015–present › Forwards and strikers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license