Adama Traore in action for Wolverhampton Wanderers. (imago Images)
According to the Daily Mail (h/t Eurosport), Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a move for Wolverhampton Wanderers winger, Adama Traore. Leeds United, Chelsea, and Liverpool are also said to be interested in the Spanish attacker, who is valued at around £45m by his current club. Nuno Espirito Santo, Spurs’ current manager, has worked with Traore during his time at the Molineux.
The winger is a product of the famed La Masia academy of Barcelona but has made his name playing in England. His first taste of English football came when Aston Villa bought him in 2015. He was then off to Middlesbrough a year later before Wolves signed him in 2018. But is he a player that should entice Spurs into buying him this summer? Let’s find out.
On paper, one would think that Tottenham Hotspur have enough depth on the flanks for the upcoming season. But upon close inspection, there arises a need for a winger like Traore in their team, who can also double up as a wing-back in a five-at-the-back system. That is because Gareth Bale, who was a regular fixture and threat for Spurs down the right-hand side in the second half of last season, is back at Real Madrid after his loan spell ended.
Not just that, but the Lilywhites have effectively brought in a younger, more inexperienced player in Bryan Gil in a deal that saw the experienced Erik Lamela leave N17 after 8 years at the club. That is not to say that the 20-year-old winger is not a good player, but that Lamela’s 257 appearances for Spurs outweigh Gil’s 0 appearances in English football.
The former Sevilla winger should be eased into the lineup given his age and lack of experience in the Premier League. For that, the club would need someone to pin down the right-hand side of their attack. Lucas Moura can be that man but the Brazilian has not had a very consistent spell ever since his move from PSG.
After all, the Brazilian enjoyed just 14 league starts last season. While Steven Bergwijn, the 23-year-old left-winger, can also be deployed down that side, he is currently linked with a move to Ajax Amsterdam. Erik ten Hag, Speaking to Voetbal International via the Spurs web (h/t football.london), even admitted the former PSV Eindhoven man fits his team’s profile.
Amid such uncertainty surrounding their right flank, a move for Traore makes sense. The player is still 25 and has room for development. His aforementioned price tag might be something Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici wished was lower, but in today’s day and age, quality players rarely come cheap. Moreover, the Spaniard has worked with Nuno before at Wolves.
Speaking during the closing stages of last season after his team’s match against Brighton, Nuno summed up what many fans would already know about Traore, mentioning how he creates space out wide by drawing players to him and how his hard-working nature is an asset to the team.
Signing him would effectively give Spurs’ new manager a chance to stamp his own identity onto the Tottenham team.
