Raul Jimenez was full of praise for Adama Traore, insisting that “it’s not a coincidence” that he links up well with his Wolverhampton Wanderers’ teammate because they work on it all the time. Traore has assisted seven of Jimenez’s Premier League goals by whipping in crosses or pulling the ball back on the byline and it appears to be because the pair are always discussing positions to take up when the other has the ball.
Jimenez explained to Wolves’ official website: “Every striker wants a teammate with his conditions. He can cross from anywhere, you know he’s going to be at the final line and he’s going to cross, so you have to be there at the right time to score.
“We train on it in the week. We talk to each other before the games, or in the training sessions, so we know where we’re going to be, his crossing and where I have to move. It’s not a coincidence, it’s something we train and work for.”
Jimenez joined Wolves from Benfica for £34.2m last summer and has gone on to make 47 appearances in all competitions, scoring 24 goals with 10 assists. The 29-year-old has been outstanding this season and finds himself linked with Real Madrid and Manchester United, but Wolves aren’t going to let him go without a fight.
As for Traore, he’s made 46 appearances across the board this season, scoring six goals with 12 assists – Jimenez has assisted three of his league goals too. The 24-year-old signed from Middlesbrough for £18m in 2018 and is currently valued at £22.95m. No player in the Premier League has provided more goals for a teammate, so their hard work in training is really paying off.
