Newcastle United have been linked with Middlesbrough‘s pacy winger Adama Traore. According to reports, he is being valued at £30m with Chelsea and Everton also vying for his signature. It will be interesting to see whether Traore makes the move especially if Middlesbrough get promoted to the Premier League as they have qualified for the playoffs.
Teessiders have enjoyed a good season since Tony Pulis took over and they are on a run of good form right before the playoffs. Their Spanish winger has played an important part in their push for Premier league qualifications as he has scored 5 times and assisted 12 in all competitions.
Traore started his career in the Barcelona youth academy and slowly moved to the first team. He made his La Liga debut for them at the tender age of 17 as he came on as a late substitute. However, he wasn’t able to break into the first team and played for Barcelona B in the Spanish second division.
He then moved on to Aston Villa but stayed with them for just 1 year before making a trip to the Riverside Stadium.
Traore is known for his blistering pace down the right wing and shows immense strength when he is on the ball. He previously played in the Premier League with Boro but he was naive in possession as he used to give the ball away cheaply. However, after acquiring a good amount of experience with the Championship side, he is being considered as a more finished product and will have another chance to showcase his talent in the top division if Boro manages to win the playoffs.
Newcastle will be in need of some attacking outlet in the summer as they have struggled for goals and creativity in the final third of the pitch. A signing like Traore will certainly boost their attacking options as he likes to play direct football and loves to take on defenders.
It will be interesting to see whether the Toon will be able to lure him as Chelsea are currently being considered as frontrunners to sign him. However, Traore might not be willing to join the Blues as he will know that he will have to bide his time before he can get regular playing chance. At Newcastle United, he can be offered regular first-team action and it might be the right decision for him to make a switch to St.James’s Park.
