Reports: Spurs working on £20m+ deal for Adama Traore

Start slathering on the baby oil, because the Adama Traore rumors continue to heat up. There are reports out now via Sami Mokbel in the Daily Mail and Simon Stone of the BBC that Tottenham are “firming up” interest in signing Adama Traore this month from Wolverhampton Wanderers, for a fee that could be as low as £20m

Mokbel broke the news in the Mail, reporting that Wolves have dropped their price for Traore, Conte would like to sign him, and that Tottenham are also interested in including Matt Doherty as part of the deal. However, according to Mokbel while Wolves are willing to let him go for substantially less than the £50m they were asking for him this summer, they aren’t particularly interested in taking Doherty back (after selling him to Spurs for £16m in summer 2020).

Stone doesn’t add anything to what Mokbel reported, except to add some “BBC gravitas” to the rumor and to clarify that Conte thinks that Traore could play as a right sided wingback in his back three system, or as an attacking midfielder, like what he’s doing right now at Wolves.

Adama a pretty divisive figure among Tottenham fans right now. He has elite-level dribbling and ball progression skills, but his shooting and passing metrics are pretty average at best. It’s also worth noting that Emerson Royal, whom Traore would be ostensibly competing with, is also not exactly known for Trippier-esque delivery from the flanks. However, Traore is a player who adds a unique (and defense altering) dimension to any team that plays him, and if Conte thinks he can fullback-whisper him into a competent wing back the way he did Victor Moses at Chelsea, well, I’m not going to argue that much. The price is pretty good too.

There’s tons of smoke right now in this transfer. It could move quickly, or simmer for a long time — that’s the transfer window for you. But it does appear to be A Thing™ so watch this space.