According to a recent report by The Northern Echo, Wolverhampton Wanderers are ready to meet Adama Traore’s release clause of £18million this summer. Under the tutelage of Tony Pulis, Traore has found a semblance of consistency and with his boundless talent, has been effective for Middlesbrough and the Championship outfit would be reluctant to strike him off their books as he would be a key asset in their push for promotion this season.
However, the Smoggies would not have much of a say if Wolves decide to meet Traore’s release clause as the player will then be allowed to hold talks with his seekers. Nuno Espirito Santo has already made some solid additions to his arsenal to face the animosity that the Premier League offers, having lured the likes of Diogo Jota, Willy Boly and Leo Bonatini to the Molineux Stadium.
In Espirito Santo’s pursuit of bolstering his ranks, signing someone like Traore would make a lot of sense. The Spaniard is an output of Barcelona’s youth system but he couldn’t engineer a prominent place in Barca’s senior side. In the summer of 2015, he joined Aston Villa and a year later, he gave his consent to move to the Riverside Stadium.
Traore was exuberant for Pulis’s side last season and he played a key role in taking them into the playoffs. In 36 league appearances, he smashed 5 goals and also mustered 10 assists to his name. He is one of the best dribblers in the game and has abundant pace which allows him to run past opponents with relative ease.
Capable of plying his trade on either wing, the 22-year-old is an astute crosser of the ball and has the capability of testing the opposition goalkeeper from close quarters as well as from a long distance. He is not short on confidence and has the required vision to make something happen in the final third. Although he has to work more on his final product, he is a young player who is only expected to get better in the coming seasons.
Wolves are going to need more quality in their ranks to stand their ground against the elite English clubs and thus, their apparent interest to sign the Middlesbrough wide man makes complete sense. He is still in his developmental phase and has hit a seemingly consistent patch recently. Traore has already accumulated plenty of experience under his belt and a move to a Premier League outfit should tempt him on a personal level as well.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored