Barcelona put tricky Traore on wish list
WOLVES WIDE MAN COULD BE SET FOR NOU CAMP REUNION
BARCELONA are considering a summer move to bring Wolves star Adama Traore back to Catalonia. Traore is being tracked closely by Europe’s elite after a stellar campaign for Wolves, in which he has developed into one of the most dangerous players in the Premier League — and
Sportsmail understands the 24-year-old is wanted by the club he left for Aston Villa in 2015.
Wolves would demand a huge price for Traore, who joined in August 2018 in an £18million deal from Middlesbrough. He is under contract at Molineux until the summer of 2023, meaning they are under no pressure to sell. It is thought Barcelona no longer have a buy-back option on Traore — that disappeared when he moved from Villa to Boro in 2016.
Barca are certain to strengthen in attack this summer and their scouts are believed to have watched a number of Wolves games this season.
Quique Setien’s team also have fitness concerns over key forwards. French winger Ousmane Dembele may miss the rest of the season with a damaged hamstring and Luis Suarez recently had a knee operation that the club expect will keep him out for four months.
They may face intense competition for Traore, who has been singled out for praise by Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and
Jose Mourinho for his displays against their teams this season.
Though he is happy at Wolves, Traore was born in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat near Barcelona and retains strong links to the city. He was educated at Barcelona’s La Masia academy and made his first-team debut at 17. Relations were strained when he left the Catalan giants but Traore suggested in a recent interview that he could forgive and forget.
He told Spanish newspaper AS: ‘I didn’t leave Barcelona in the best way but I took the decision to leave and I don’t regret it.
‘There were a few problems with the club — some misunderstandings — and so I decided to leave because I wanted to develop as a player.
‘I have no hard feelings towards Barca. So why not? If Real Madrid or Barca came calling, I’d definitely think about it.
‘My plan is to become one of the best players in England, and after that, sure, I’d like to come back.’
Traore is eligible to play for Spain or Mali at senior level and he is in contention for Spain’s friendlies next month.
A strong finish to this season would improve his chances of making Luis Enrique’s final Spain squad for Euro 2020.