Adama Traore: Man City’s nightmare is open to Real Madrid transfer despite Barcelona roots

Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Adama Traore has admitted he would be open to joining Real Madrid despite coming through the academy of rivals Barcelona.

Traore, 23, spent 11 years with Barcelona but made just one appearance for their first team before moving to England initially with Aston Villa.

The Spaniard struggled at Villa and then Middlesbrough, where often he was criticised for lacking no end product despite his intense pace and strength.

Why did Adama Traore leave Barcelona? Five things to know…

• Adama Traore was born in Barcelona and spend nearly a decade in the club’s youth system.
• He made one senior Barcelona appearance before joining Aston Villa permanently for €10m in 2015, aged 19.
• Traore expressed frustration over his lack of chances with the first-team (Mess-Suarez-Neymar dominated at the time).
• The deal included a three-year buy-back clause.
• Traore now says a “misunderstanding” caused his Barcelona exit, one conducted in “not the best manner”.

But Traore has steadily become a force in the Premier League since joining Wolves in 2018, becoming a key member of Nuno Espirito Santo’s team.

As well as completing 94 take-ons in the Premier League this season, second only to Wilfried Zaha, Traore has scored four goals and recorded four assists more than he had managed in his previous four seasons combined.

Manchester City have been Traore’s favourite victims this season. In two Premier League meetings against the reigning Premier League champions this season, he scored twice and assisted another goal to help Wolves complete a double over Pep Guardiola.

Traore has also completed 29 take-ons in total against Man City since the start of the 2016/17 Premier League season, more than any other player despite spending the 2017/18 campaign in the Championship.

Adama Traoré has completed 10+ take-ons in three different Premier League games so far in 2019/20, no other player has done it more than once:

11 vs. Aston Villa
11 vs. Brighton
10 vs. Man City

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— Squawka (@Squawka) December 27, 2019

So Man City fans may be happy to hear that Traore would be open to leaving Wolves and returning to Spain, even to Real Madrid – despite his Barcelona links.

“If I have the opportunity to go to Madrid, I will leave,” Traore told Spanish television station La Sexta (translated by Football Espana).

“There was a misunderstanding with Barcelona when I left the club. It was not the best manner of exiting the club but that is a story I will keep to myself.”

However, Wolves fans may take some comfort in Traore’s aims to reach the top of English football before any return to his native country.

He added: “Of course I would like to return to Spanish football, but I promised myself I would be a success in England.”

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“I don’t do weights”

Aside from his incredible ability to manipulate the ball at high speed, Traore is easily recognisable on the pitch for his muscles mass. And they’re not just for show. Traore often uses his strength to get the better of opponents, most recently winning the ball from Benjamin Mendy with ease to set up Raul Jimenez’s goal.

But Traore insists, remarkably, he doesn’t do weights to gain his muscles.

He added: “My training? I don’t do weights. It’s hard to believe, but I don’t do weights. It’s genetic. I exercise, but I gain mass very quickly.”