Wolves are reportedly close to agreeing a fee with Tottenham for the transfer of their Spanish winger, Adama Traore according to reports.
Adama Traoré of Wolverhampton Wanderers in action during the Premier League match between Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers (Getty Images)
Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano delivered a fresh update on the situation to Twitter over the weekend, where he said:
Adama Traoré deal not done/fully agreed yet but Tottenham are confident to reach the agreement soon. Negotiations with Wolves will continue in the next hours and days. ⚪️ #THFC
Personal terms already discussed with Adama. Spurs are on it.
The 25-year-old came close to making the switch last summer and with his current contract running out, Wolves are keen to sell the player now to avoid losing him for nothing in the future.
It remains to be seen exactly how much the Spain international will cost the Lilywhites but some reports suggest that it could be in the region of £20m after they had a £15m bid rejected last week.
Wolves manager Bruno Lage has revealed the latest information on Traoré’s future amid speculation of a move to north London, confirming:
“My attention and focus is every time on the next game and I don’t think about if Adama stays with us or not. For now, he’s with us so I’m preparing the game with him.”
The Portuguese added: “We have a top player with us, a lovely guy. Sometimes it’s about business. I remember how much Tottenham protected Harry Kane at the beginning of the season.
And we will protect our player because we believe a lot in Adama. That is business. It’s not my concern. But I will protect my players. The way they work, the value for me is very high.”
“My attention and focus is every time on the next game and I don’t think about if Adama stays with us or not. For now, he’s with us so I’m preparing the game with him.”
Traore’s contract has just 18 months left to run on it and there has been little indication that he is willing to extend his stay at Wolves.
Paratici also has a strong relationship with super agent Jorge Mendes, who represents Traore, the two men having worked together on the huge deal that took Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid to Juventus in 2018 which could make the move easier to N17.
What Can Spurs fans expect from Adama Traore?
Spurs have identified Traore as a potential right wing-back for Antonio Conte to convert, as he did with Victor Moses when he won the Premier League title with Chelsea.
It’s thought that the Italian head coach does not trust summer signing Emerson Royal at right wing-back for more attacking thrust down that flank and Adama Traore is the viable option.
The 25-year-old possesses the natural speed and strength to thrive in this position and considering his disappointing end product, it really could be the best fit for him and his future.
For instance, this season, Traore has scored just once from 20 league appearances but that’s without factoring in the eye test as he’s often double marked in most outings.
That’s because he’s a pacey and strong threat out wide.
He leads the league for average number of successful dribbles per 90 minutes (seven) and that clearly makes him difficult to defend.
An average of 1.5 key passes per 90 also suggests that he’s a creative influence, too.
BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand once dubbed him a “machine” who is built like a “powerlifter or a cruiser-weight boxer”, whilst Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has often deemed him to be “unplayable“.
Tottenham transfer news : Antonio Conte holds transfer meeting
The fact that Spurs have agreed to personal terms is hugely encouraging news and it should have the Lilywhites faithful absolutely buzzing as they close in on the first signing of the Conte era.