Southampton: Is Adama Traore an option for Saints?
The transfer deadline may only a week or so away, but there is still plenty of speculation surrounding potential deals yet to be done. The bookies are still loosely linking players to Southampton, one of whom is Middlesbrough winger Adama Traore.
Saints fans haven’t seen a sticker pack opening since the arrival of Angus Gunn three weeks ago, and with a number of fringe players departing on loan since then, there are arguably still gaps in the team that many would like to see filled.
SkyBet currently has odds of 11/10 on Adama Traore joining Wolves before the end of the transfer window. But the 22-year-old right-sided attacker has a release clause of £18 million written into his contract, and Wolves have so far failed to meet this valuation point. Landing their man would mean breaking their transfer record, and with another bid rejected yesterday, they seem hesitant to do that.
A justifiable question is whether Southampton would have the cash or conviction to meet the valuation either.
The right-sided attacking position is one of the recognised gaps in the Saints team, with little natural depth and no ideal first choice starter. Although a number of players have been linked, such as bargain-priced Rachid Ghezzal and the never-ending non-story about Pione Sisto, nothing has come to fruition.
Next. Rachid Ghezzal - bargain or rightfully cheap?. dark
Although not as cheap as Ghezzal or as high profile as Sisto, Traore does have two seasons of Premier League football under his belt. Those two seasons may not hold the best of memories for him (he was relegated with both Aston Villa and Middlesbrough), but already at 22 he has shown the potential to play in the top flight.
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And as a graduate of the Barcelona academy who did make the odd first team appearance before departing for the Premier League, his early footballing experience shouldn’t be ignored either.
Last season I watched Traore play at Griffin Park when Brentford hosted Boro in March. The Spaniard scored the visitors’ goal in an entertaining 1-1 draw, and his performance was enough that the local press recognised him as “the best opposition player to visit Griffin Park this season.”
Having only associated him with struggling sides until then, what stood out for me was his pace on the ball, his power, and his passing and crossing ability in the final third. Granted you can’t judge a player by a single game, but his age and relative experience suggest there is a lot of potential waiting to be nurtured.
Traore went on to score five goals for and make ten assists for Boro in the Championship last season, helping them to fifth in the league. His club also named him Fans Player of the Year, Players Player of the Year AND Young Player of the Year – an impressive individual haul for a player in a relatively successful side.
No one seems to know exactly what is left in the transfer kitty at St Mary’s, but a new winger is high on the shopping list. Perhaps Traore is a little over budget, but if you want Premier League experience, youth and obvious potential, you have to be prepared to pay for it.