Adama, an arrow for Xavi

Six and a half years after leaving Barça to head for the Premier League, signing for Aston Villa in exchange for a fixed 10 million euros plus 2 in variables, Adama Traoré (26 years old) go back home. The one from l’Hospitalet entered the youth categories of the Barça club when he was eight years old and it didn’t take him long to stand out with his speed, power and physique, and a great one-on-one, progressing by leaps and bounds. His debut with the first team he reached the 17 yearsin the League at the Camp Nou against Granada (4-0) and with the help of Tata Martino, who had seen him shine a few weeks earlier at the Miniestadi against Deportivo. He didn’t play anymore that course and the next, with Luis Enrique, scored his only goal, against Huesca in the Copa del Rey (8-1) in one of the only two games he played. The other, as a starter, was against Elche (0-4).

With Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez in top form, Pedro still at the club as a solid and decisive complement to the MSN, the incipient prominence of Munir and Sandro, and the signing of Arda Turan, Adama’s chances of having minutes were reduced and He did not hesitate to make the leap to the Premier League, where after some difficult beginnings, with hardly any prominence and with two relegations included, little by little he consolidated.

Adama, in his debut against Granada after replacing Neymar.

Own

Only eleven games, one as a starter, Adama played in his first year away from Barça, with the Aston-Villa. Despite this and the descent of the villains, the Middlesbrough did not hesitate to bet on him, paying €8.25 millionand with Aitor Karanka On the bench he began to stand out in the Premier, playing 31 games that year, although without scoring a goal. His explosion in England came in his third year, after also going down with ‘Boro’, where he also coincided with Victor Valdes Y black. “This kid is a Moto GP”, Karanka from L’Hospitalet assured. In the Championship he added 5 goals and 10 assists, with impressive performances, in the 36 games played, most of them starting (28), which earned him for Wolverhampton to pay €20 million to take over his services in the summer of 2018, making him the most expensive signing in the club’s history.

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Adama Traoré, in his time with Middlesbrough

AP

From the Molineux Stadium band to ‘La Roja’

It didn’t take him long to score his first goal in the Premier, against West Ham (0-1) although his first season (2018/19) at the Molineux Stadium was rather irregular, playing 36 games between all competitions although only 12 at the start. although helping to qualify for the Europa League. Nuno continued to trust him and his second season with the Wolves He’s totally convinced. 52 matches played in all competitions, scoring 6 goals, handing out 12 assists and leaving various performances to frame. Among them, some well-remembered, such as a brace at the Etihad against City (0-2), another in the home match against Guardiola’s (3-2) or a goal at the RCDE Stadium (3-2) in the Europa League tie. Last season, he did not let up and the man from l’Hospitalet once again exceeded 2,500 minutes played in the Premier, scoring three goals in all competitions.



Precisely, at the beginning of last year, on October 7, 2020, his debut with the Spanish teamfrom the hand of Luis Enriquein a friendly against Portugal (0-0). “Adama has been Adama in its purest form and it is what we want him to be, with his ability to overcome opponents, he has given a pass of death to Dani Olmo that has not been a goal. With one player they are not going to be able to stop him, they are going to have to use two players”, highlighted Luis Enrique after that training session. He earned a place for the European Championshipbut he only participated in one game and was no longer summoned for the October and November windows, losing options to go to the World Cup.

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Adama, in his debut with the Spanish team against Portugal

Getty

Without Nuno, less protagonism and on the left

With the march of nuno this summer and the arrival of Bruno Lager, Adama has lost a bit of prominence this season. Although he has participated in 20 Premier games, he has only been starter in the half (10) and has only scored one goal this season, on January 15 against Southampton. In addition, also due to casualties, the Setúbal coach has used him in many games on the far left, with Trincao on the right. Now, in his second stage at the Barça club, he will seek to succeed where he could not, at the Camp Nou.

Adama’s numbers outside Barça

2015/16 (Aston Villa): 11 games, 1 goal and 2 assists
2016/17 (Middlesbrough): 31 games and 1 assist
2017/18 (Middlesbrough): 40 games and 5 goals and 12 assists *Played in Championship
​2018/19 (Wolverhampton): 36 games, 1 goal and 3 assists
2019/20 (Wolverhampton): 52 games, 6 goals and 12 assists
2020/21 (Wolverhampton): 41 games, 3 goals and 3 assists
2021/22 (Wolverhampton): 22 games and 1 goal

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Adama, an arrow for Xavi