Tottenham are reportedly considering stepping up their interest in Spanish winger Adama Traore and might make a late £40 million move to test Wolves’ resolve.
According to the reports in the Daily Telegraph, Tottenham are contemplating a move for powerful 25-year-old forward Adama Traore and are weighing up a £40 million bid to bring the Spaniard to the club before the window ends.
Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo knows Traore very well from his previous stint at Wolves. The Portuguese coach is a big admirer of the dynamic winger and is seemingly pushing hard for a reunion at Spurs. However, the Lilywhites’ face stiff competition from Liverpool and Wolves are not very keen on selling their star man unless a sizeable offer in the region of £40 million comes around.
Traore is contracted at the Molineux until 2023 and talks over a new deal appear to have stagnated. As a result, Wolves may be resigned to lose one of their most influential players so late in the window, but they are well-prepared for an eventuality by lining up a move for Valencia’s Goncalo Guedes.
Since arriving at Wolves from Middlesborough, Traore has racked up ten goals and 13 assists in 133 appearances for the Midlands outfit. Traore’s direct style and athleticism make him a perfect fit to play on the flanks in Nuno’s counter-attacking system in place at Tottenham. He can exploit either flank with his pace, direct running, crossing ability and trickery.
Traore is a flexible winger who can operate on both sides and even as a wing-back if needed. The Spanish international is adept at off-balancing his marker and penetrating defences; his quick bursts of speed and ability to turn full-backs inside out are useful talents for gaining territory in the opponents’ box and would thus provide a new dimension to Spurs’ lineup.
A top dribbler as well, Traore’s biggest flaw is his subpar final balls and lack of end product; despite getting in fantastic situations, he rarely finds the back of the net. This was obvious from his most recent misses in league games against Leicester and Tottenham, respectively which came back to haunt his team as they suffered a 1-0 loss on both occasions.
Tottenham could likely lose their talisman, Harry Kane, amid strong interest from Manchester City and Nuno has played Son in the centre-forward role of late. This leaves Lucas Moura, Bryan Gil and Steven Bergwijn as the only capable options in the wide areas. While Gil is young and still nurturing, Moura has been largely inconsistent with his form blowing hot and cold throughout the season.
So it’s understandable why Nuno wants to bolster his wide options by bringing Traore to his roster. What remains to be seen is whether Spurs can get the ex-Barcelona academy ace or has to contend with any other target.
