"He was like a motorcycle! No one can handle such a speed. After being double-killed by Wolves in 2019-20, Guardiola said of Traore. However, what no one could have imagined was that after just 2 seasons, Traore, the king of the five major leagues, had come to the brink of leaving.
In the 2019-20 two-legged match against Manchester City, Traore scored 3 goals and provided 1 assist, participating in 4 of the team's 5 goals, and almost single-handedly destroyed the Blue Moon.
Like other teams, City simply can't contain Traore's speed and strong body. In this season, Traore scored 4 goals and delivered 9 assists, worth as much as 70 million pounds, winning the favor of Manchester City and Liverpool. Not only that, Traore has also become the king of the five major leagues, one more time than Messi, breaking Messi's long-term monopoly on this list.
However, Traore did not soar, on the contrary, he gradually went downhill, and his influence gradually weakened. Of course, he also continued the true nature of the king, with 4.7 passes per game this season, ranking first in the top five leagues and 0.6 more than st. Maximan's in the second place. However, Traore, who has made 17 appearances this season, has never scored or assisted, not only losing his main position, but also getting farther and farther away from the World Cup.
Traore's contract with Wolves is only 18 months left, which means that both Wolves and Traore have to make an important decision in the winter window: Sell Traore or expect him to usher in a turning point?
Regression or change?
Born in La Masia, Traore has always been known for his speed and breakthroughs, but his shooting and cross-passing skills are also quite bad. After moving from Barcelona to Villa in 2015, Traore was a bit unsatisfied, and after moving to Middlesbrough in 2017, he also performed sluggishly.
In 2018, Wolves signed 22-year-old Traore for £18 million. At first, Traore was still unable to gain a foothold in the main squad, but Nuno Santos's careful coaching and his efforts on the training ground allowed Traore to finally usher in a breakthrough in the 2019-20 season.
However, Traore quickly retreated after the outbreak. In the 2020-21 season, Traore did not score for the first time until March 2021, while this season he has never scored.
Such a slump brought Traore back on the bench. Even with the occasional start, Traore has a hard time influencing the team's attack, having only touched the ball 24 times against Manchester City, or even less than half of goalkeeper José Sa (50).
Realizing his problem, Traore played harder. Against Breton, after replacing Huang Xican, Traore's performance was refreshing.
However, the fans were not happy with his performance, believing he could not really help the team when attacking. Wolves boss Raje also said: "I want Adama to be more stable, not just in one game after another, but also in the same game. ”
'He's the kind of player who can invent something once he has the ball, but I hope Adama can contribute more, not just when there's the ball.
Tactics made him disappear?
Traore played at his best when Nuno Santos was in charge, and after Laje took over, Wolves performed well overall, but the attack was not good enough.
In the 2019-20 season, Traore helped Wolves score 24 goals after 17 rounds, becoming the 7th most goalscoring team in the Premier League. After 17 rounds of the season, Wolves have scored just 13 goals, just above the bottom of Norwich.
The Daily Mail commented, "When attacking, there are not enough Wolves players in the box. As a winger, if you only have 1 or 2 teammates in the opponent's penalty area, your cross must be accurate enough. ”
In fact, Traore and Jimenez have a tacit understanding. In the 2019-20 season, Traore scored 3 of 4 goals from Jimenez's assists, while of the 17 goals scored by Jimenez, 7 came from Traore's assists.
Last season, Jimenez was absent from injury for a long time, which affected Traore's performance. Although Jimenez was back on the pitch, the tacit understanding between him and Traore seemed to have disappeared.
Some fans commented, "Nuno's departure from the club is the key to Traore's poor performance. The impression is that Traore needs the support and encouragement of the manager and once Nuno leaves you can see the changes that happen to him. I don't think he's a good fit for Laje's tactical system, and when the team is on the ball, he looks confused. ”
Go?
Despite the lack of goals and assists, Traore's destructiveness has left many teams still interested in him. So, should Wolves sell Traore?
As with the evaluation of his performance on the field, fans have different views of his future. Some fans said, "The club should not sell Traore, he may return to the main squad in the second half." ”
On the contrary, some fans believe that Traore should leave the team, "a few seasons ago, he was worth 70 million pounds, and now if someone offers 30 million pounds, then many fans will accept it." With his current performances, he can't get into the Spanish national team, but he is eager to play in the World Cup. For him, he had to transfer. In fact, in just 2 years, Traore's value has fallen from £70 million to £20 million.
In the winter window of 2021, both Traore and Wolves face a choice. For the king, this may be an important decision to determine his future.