FC Barcelona agree loan move for Adama Traore

With just a couple of days left for the January transfer window to shut down, FC Barcelona have completed yet another signing from the Premier League. According to multiple reports, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ winger Adama Traore is set to return to the Camp Nou.

Traore’s move is set to be a loan deal for the rest of this season, with a buy option for €30m plus bonuses. Barcelona will cover his full salary until June. Reportedly, the 26-year-old, who was heavily linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur this window, has also taken a pay cut to return to his boyhood club.

With Ousmane Dembele’s future uncertain at the club, the acquisition of Traore can have a significant impact, as the squad aims for a strong finish to the 2021/22 season. Interestingly, Traore shares quite a few attacking attributes with Dembele, both known for their blistering pace and direct play. Though, on the flip side, both have been criticized for the lack of final product.

Similar to Barca’s other signing in this transfer window, Ferran Torres, Traore is also a part of the Spanish National Team and has the added experience of sharing the dressing room with a lot of current Barca regulars. He made his debut for Luis Enrique’s side in October 2020 against Portugal.

Traore joined the famous La Masia at the age of eight in 2004. He was promoted to the Barca B team in 2013, where he was involved in 26 G/As in 63 appearances. Traore also played a pivotal role in Barca U-19 side’s win in the inaugural edition of the UEFA Youth League held in the 2013/14 season. Though, he struggled for game time at Barca’s senior side and only managed a mere four appearances. His only goal for the senior side came in an 8-1 win against Huesca in the fourth round of the 2014/15 Copa Del Rey.

Traore left Barca in 2015; and has since then played for Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, and, most recently, Wolves in England. His last match for Wolves was against Brentford in a 1-2 away win on 22 January.

Traore is expected to complete his medical on Friday and presented as a new signing by the club on Monday. His second-debut for the Blaugrana could be against Atletico Madrid in a crucial La Liga encounter at the Camp Nou on 6 February.