Adama Traore is the ultimate footballing enigma; a player that divides opinion and embodies footballing contrast. The Spanish under-21 winger started his career at Barcelona; on the one hand, La Masia’s influence on his game is clear, and there is an argument to suggest his incredible dribbling and explosive pace gave him the tools to follow the likes of Lionel Messi and Bojan Krkic into the first team at Camp Nou. Since his move to England three years ago, though, he has been exposed; Aston Villa and Middlesbrough have both been frustrated by his lack of an end product and consistent inconsistency.
Traore is far from the reason for both sides’ relegations from the Premier League in 2016 and 2017 respectively, but it is noticeable that, when the going got tough towards the end of those seasons, he wasn’t involved very much. For all of his unpredictability, not to mention the statistics that backed him as one of Europe’s best with the ball at his feet, he was viewed as a luxury player and rarely trusted. Moving to Middlesbrough was, looking back, a real turning point in his career; Aitor Karanka, the manager at the Riverside Stadium at the time, kept him shackled, as did his permanent replacement Garry Monk in the Championship, but Boro are known for their love of a flair player, and giving youth a chance. A spell in the second tier did him the world of good in the end, especially after Tony Pulis came in for Monk at Christmas. Chelsea admired him from a distance last summer, but he stayed on Teesside and, under Pulis, dazzled an adoring crowd and, as the talisman, almost inspired them back to the top flight.
After their playoff semi final defeat to Aston Villa, it became clear the some key players, including Traore, may be moving on. Ben Gibson, their key defender, academy graduate and nephew to chairman Steve, bid an emotional farewell, heading to Burnley this week, while Adama Traore is on the brink of a £20million switch to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Boro fans can be upset with their departures, but Pulis understood and quickly accepted he would lose them; players like them need to be in the Premier League, and as soon as a buyout clause in the latter’s contract was discovered, his departure was inevitable. Without him, as Pulis will know full well, they need to find another source of creativity. Wolves, though, are getting a player who is now ready to take the Premier League by storm under a manager with a philosophy that suits. Nuno Espírito Santo must believe in him.
Give their head of recruitment a knighthood! 🗡️
(🗞️@JPercyTelegraph)
#WWFC
It is no secret that they are a club with lofty ambitions, with a £55million net spend before the Traore deal goes through. Ruben Neves and Helder Costa are already at the club, with Raul Jimenez and Joao Moutinho signing over the summer; the base of the team is much stronger already, and although Wolves are a newly promoted side so will naturally be among the favourites for relegation, confidence is high. But there is a clear difference, regarding Traore, between now and when he faced the pressure of playing for survival at Villa and Middlesbrough; he is mature and strong enough, physically and mentally, to handle the pressure. He will be trusted, and he will impact games at crucial moments; no longer can he be written off as a “luxury”, or be called a show-pony.
Of course, his price tag will be magnified and so, therefore, will the scrutiny on his shoulders. But the market is moving at a frenetic pace, and Wolverhampton Wanderers have done well to react to it in the manner they have. The money they have paid for Traore doesn’t matter; spending £20million on a single player as a promoted side was unheard of, but that is now the norm. Such a figure is also the norm for players who are not the finished article; Traore may have completed 132 dribbles in the Championship last season, but he still only scored five goals. There is so much more for him to learn, and at just 22 years of age, his career is like clay in Nuno’s hands. Wolves play football the right way, keeping the ball and allowing for flexibility in attack; playing in such a manner is fundamental to getting the best out someone as unpredictable as Traore, but he is effective on the counter attack and can relieve pressure with direct runs, too. His statistics were not that impressive, but he carried Pulis’ side at times last season; lifting the games of those around him.
