Newcastle United seem to be running out of options to bring into St. James’ Park this summer. The Championship winners have failed to do business with the same intensity as Huddersfield Town, the last side to gain promotion, and it has quite concerningly forced them to push the panic button.
Rafael Benitez has been hardly successful in getting his priority targets and with just one month to go before the season starts, he is now taking the common route of getting in popular talents in hope that they would click for him next season. Recent reports are claiming that the Spaniard is in talks with Middlesbrough flop, Adama Traore.
The 21-year-old has endured a pathetic season in the Premier League last term as Boro saw themselves getting relegated. For all the talks of his tremendous pace and dribbling abilities, the player turned out to be way too predictable for opponents and he was thrown down the pecking order ultimately.
Newcastle already have proven options in Christian Atsu and Matt Ritchie on that right flank, who have shown their potential last season. And Traore’s inclusion, if that happens, isn’t bound to reap fruits for Benitez either. He has been accused of losing the ball numerous times, which has often seen as creating a goal scoring opportunity for the opponents.
Traore relies too much on his speed on and off the ball, and it will all come down to Benitez’s efficiency on using him to the fullest. Either he could be a tremendous hit that would win them matches big time right in the dying minutes of a game, or he would be watching games from the sidelines for yet another season. The only advantage in having him has been his young age and raw talent, which most managers think they could mould into a complete product.
And Newcastle are reportedly even willing to trade their first-choice shot-stopper Karl Darlow for the transfer. Boro manager Monk wouldn’t mind too much letting him go as Traore is hardly worth taking a risk for now. La Liga sides Real Betis, Levante and Eibar are also taking a keen interest in the talent and the player could consider moving to his homeland.
An academy product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, Traore failed to develop as well as was expected from him. Barcelona took him from Spanish side CE L’Hospitalet, where he was a quick learner. Within no time he broke through the underage ranks of the Catalans. He managed eight goals and registered 18 assists for Barcelona’s B side in 63 appearances. It had also led him to land a La Liga debut back in 2013, but it was, unfortunately, a one-off thing.
