Barcelona identify Premier League star as 'main option' to replace Ousmane Dembele - Reports
Barcelona reportedly view Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Adama Traore as a potential replacement for Ousmane Dembele.
Dembele's current contract with the Blaugrana expires at the end of the ongoing season. While there were suggestions that the club and player were close to agreeing an extension, it now appears he is all set to depart Camp Nou.
Barcelona are reportedly looking to sell him in the ongoing transfer window to ensure he doesn't depart on a free transfer. However, that has looked unlikely so far, and reports have suggested that Dembele himself wants to wait till the summer to decide on his future.
Adama Traore wants to return to Barcelona, and the club have been negotiating a deal. Jorge Mendes has been in conversations with the club for weeks. A final agreement could be reached for around €20m.
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The Blaugrana, though, have started looking for replacements. According to Diario Sport (via Barca Blaugranes), they are interested in recruiting Traore. However, the signing won't be easy, as Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in the player.
The Wolves winger shares similar characteristics with Dembele. He is extremely quick, tends to operate close to the touchline, and draws defenders out wide. Traore is much more physical than the Frenchman, though, and has the ability to bully defenders as well. The 25-year-old's injury record is also better than Dembele's. He has had no real long-term layoffs since joining Wolves in 2018.
Barcelona's biggest advantage in this possible deal is Jorge Mendes, Traore's agent. Mendes facilitated the sale of Nelson Semedo in 2020 and the loan of Francisco Trincao last summer to Wolves. So the Blaugrana could use Trincao to reduce the Premier League outfit's asking price for Traore.
Adama Traore could be a very useful signing for Barcelona
It is also worth noting that Traore has his roots at Barcelona. He rose through the ranks at La Masia, and made his first-team debut for the club in the 2013-14 season.
Many expected him to kick on from there under Luis Enrique, who arrived in the summer of 2014. However, Traore only played twice for the first team during the 2014-15 campaign, with both appearances coming in the Copa del Rey. Incidentally, he scored an excellent solo goal, his first for the club, in their 8-1 thrashing of Huesca.
Traore departed Barcelona in the summer of 2015 in search of regular first-team action. He had two underwhelming spells at Aston Villa and Middlesbrough before he was signed by Wolves in 2018.
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The 25-year-old has been an absolute boost for the team, playing a key role in their first season back in the Premier League. The next campaign was Traore's best in a Wolves shirt, as he recorded six goals and 12 assists in 54 games across competitions. He helped them make a run to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League, and finish seventh in the league too.
Traore has struggled to replicate those exploits this season, though, having scored just once in 22 appearances across competitions. However, he remains one of Wolves' biggest threats going forward, and has looked impressive at times.