Adama Traore: Barcelona in talks with Wolves forward who is unconvinced by Tottenham's role;
Traore would like to return to the club where he began his career; Barcelona has offered a loan move with a £29 million option to make the deal permanent; Traore would like to return to the club where he began his career; Wolves turned down Spurs' £15 million bid for the Spain international last week.
Barcelona is in talks with Wolves about signing Adama Traore, who isn't convinced by Tottenham's offer to play him in multiple places.
Barcelona has offered Traore a loan agreement with a £29 million option to make it permanent, and he wants to return to the club where he began his career.
Spurs were said to be closing in on a £20 million deal for the 26-year-old after their previous £15 million bid was rejected earlier this week by Sky Sports News, but Barca now appears to have gone ahead of Antonio Conte's side in the battle to get him.
Tottenham will not try to persuade Traore to reject Barcelona, according to Sky Sports News, and will instead concentrate on other targets.
Tottenham is still in talks with Porto winger Luis Diaz to improve their roster before the transfer deadline.
Traore started Saturday's 2-1 win over Brentford on the bench, but came on for the final 15 minutes and saw a goal called out for offside by VAR.
Spurs have been interested in Traore for a long time and were in talks to sign him at the end of the summer transfer season. Despite the change of head coach from Nuno Espirito Santo to Conte, interest has remained high.
'It appears that Tottenham has missed out on Traore.'
Kaveh Solhekol, SSN's Chief Reporter, on 'The Transfer Show':
"Spurs appear to have missed out on Adama Traore, with Barcelona agreeing to sign him on loan from Wolves with the option to buy him in the summer for around £25 million.
"Spurs attempted to purchase Traore and made a £15 million deal, but it was not enough. There was speculation that a deal may be struck for around £20 million, but Barcelona has stepped in to sign the player, who formerly played for the Barcelona Academy.
"And it is extremely difficult to say no when a club like Barcelona comes in for you, which is why he has decided to return to Barcelona, and I don't think there was much Spurs could have done about it."
"There are indications in Spain that he has agreed to accept a pay reduction to join Barcelona, so it appears to be bad news for Spurs in terms of Traore."
The loss of Adama Traore is a big setback for Antonio Conte and Tottenham Hotspur since the deal was thought to be all but sealed, with the club desperate to add more recruits. They have a problem after failing to land the Spain international.
Traore was brought in to provide energy at wing-back, where Emerson Royal has struggled to beat a man in the opposition third. While Traore's defense abilities have been questioned, no one can deny that his ball-carrying ability would have provided a new dimension to the team.
The rumor now is that he was never interested in the job. Bruno Lage only used Traore there out of desperation when they were trailing Brentford and Crystal Palace, and he last played wing-back under Nuno Espirito Santo in the autumn of 2019, with mixed results.
It's more likely that Barcelona's interest swayed his decision. Traore has lived in England for the past six and a half years, adjusting well, but Catalonia has always been home. He entered Barcelona's youth system at the age of eight and made his La Liga debut at the age of seventeen.
"This appears to be an extraordinarily close transaction. Barcelona has not denied the tale, and sources in Spain indicate that the two clubs and the player have reached an agreement. Traore is ecstatic about the prospect of returning to Barcelona.
"Due to Barcelona's financial predicament, this is highly shocking. It's only a loan till next summer with the option to buy if you want to, but it's not required. It's also worth noting that Francisco Trincao is a client of Jorge Mendes' agency.
"He is a Barcelona player on loan at Wolves, with the club having the option to buy him for €30 million. If Traore performs well and Barcelona wants to sign him permanently, Trincao might be the key to keeping Traore beyond July.
"It would be a unique move and a challenge for Traore. We must remember that when he was a kid, he played for Barcelona B and only twice for the first squad. He didn't have much success in Spain, but his efforts in England helped him earn a call-up to Luis Enrique's Spanish national squad.
"He'd return to a new Barcelona; when he left, it was all about ball possession under Pep Guardiola and Enrique, but today you have to remember that, while he's not a typical Barcelona player from the last 10 or 15 years, he's a highly physical player who can help Xavi's current team."
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