The summer capture of Adama Traore by Wolverhampton Wanderers from Middlesbrough for a record £18million transfer fee was certainly a statement by the club as we returned to the Premier League after storming to the Championship title.
The 23-year-old Spanish winger has blown fans away with his strength and pace at points, but equally flattered to deceive when it comes to his productivity and final ball. Having been moved to a more unfamiliar wing back position for the Cardiff City game, many fans believe it brought out a more rounded performance from him in many senses – but there are still obvious areas where he can improve, and he’s admitted that himself in recent interviews.
Sky Sports pundit Danny Higginbotham was discussing his merits on the SSN Match Centre (7/2 – 10am) on Thursday and he highlighted exactly what most at Molineux already know about the man.
“It’s his end product, that’s the biggest thing with Traore. I’ve not seen a player quicker than him – he’s so direct, so strong – but a lot of the time it is his end ball. That final decision making, whether he be going for goal, whether it be a pass. There’s no doubt about it, when he gets going he takes some stopping. players just can’t keep up with him. If they can get him to learn you’ve got a real player on your hands.”
Raw potential and slight improvements so far, but he’s certainly on a development journey with head coach Nuno Espirito Santo and if he can get it to click properly on the pitch, we have a dynamite player on our hands.
Whether his future is wingback, winger or striker through the middle, his potential is clear to all.
