Adama Traore says he would consider joining Real Madrid despite his Barcelona past.
The 23-year-old Wolves winger is enjoying a productive campaign in England‘s top division having registered six assists plus four goals across 22 league outings this season.
Five key things to know about Traore’s rise to stardom…
- Traore came through Barcelona‘s youth set-up but made just four senior appearances.
- He’s since moved to England representing Aston Villa and Middlesbrough before joining Wolves.
- Traore is having a season to remember having registered five goals and nine assists in 34 matches.
- Playing in various positions is what Traore cites as the reason for his improvement as a footballer.
- A move back to Barcelona interests him but he’s not ruling out joining Real Madrid.
Such have been his exemplary performances, the Catalan-born forward, who came through Barça‘s esteemed academy, received a call-up from the Spanish national team. However, Traore has yet to decide whether to represent La Roja or Mali.
Having joined Wolves from Middlesbrough in 2018, his present deal at Molineux expires in June 2023, but the chances of him fulfilling that contract seems unlikely given his growing reputation, with him recently being linked Liverpool and Manchester City.
Another club associated with Traore is boyhood team Barcelona, where he’s previously made four appearances under Gerardo Martino and then Luis Enrique but he was unable to cement a first-team squad role given his youthfulness and the direction of the club. A return is something that interests him.
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“Why not? If Barca comes, I would consider it,’ he told Spanish radio station El Larguero.
Given the rivalry between Barça and Real Madrid you’d think putting on the fabled all-white kit is something he’d steer away from.
“And if Real Madrid comes, I would consider it the same,” he added.
Becoming a total footballer
Traore’s improvement as a player from a tactical perspective has been one of the defining storylines in this season’s Premier League and he’s been subsequently lauded by former Boro boss Tony Pulis and Jurgen Klopp.
A reason behind such transformation can be attributed to Nuno Espirito Santo fielding him in various positions, making Traore somewhat of a quasi total footballer, which ranges from leading the line to playing as a wing-back.
Having a close working relationship with the Portuguese tactician has, according to Traore, paid dividends.
“With me, he’s been working on tactics,” he said.
“He has been pushing me into different positions, demanding different things. He has shown me when to show my quality – when is the moment to show my quality.
“But, you can defend also, like a wing-back, or play inside like a striker, or on the left or the right as a winger.
“This is it. Different positions demand different things. This has made me see things in different ways. It makes me grow as a player. I’ve been working so hard on this with Nuno, and also the end (product).
“He’s been doing that with me, so we keep working. Like I’ve said before, I trust his process, and I will keep working.”