Wolves winger Adama Traore returns to Barcelona on loan; option to buy included

Wolves winger Adama Traore has secured a loan move to Barcelona for the remainder of the 2021/22 season, the Spanish side has confirmed.

Talk about Traore’s potential move to the Catalan side had been going for a while now, and his reunion with Barcelona has finally been confirmed.

Traore’s loan move to Barcelona will last till June 30, 2022, following which the Catalan giants have an option of buying Traore for a fee in the region of €30 million.

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The 26-year-old had started his professional footballing career with the Blaugrana, and had risen through the ranks of the club’s famed La Masia youth academy before making his senior debut for the side at the of 17.

However, Traore was not deemed a good fit for Barcelona at the time, and the winger moved to England in 2015 to join Premier League side Aston Villa on a five-year contract for a fee of around £7 million.

Despite a decent start to his career at Villa, Traore was soon dropped from the squad due to alleged disciplinary issues, and the club got relegated to second division English football.

The 26-year-old then went on to sign for Middlesbrough in 2016 for an undisclosed fee, but had a tough season after failing to find the net in 31 appearances.

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However, Traore managed five goals and 10 assists in the 2017-18 season and was instrumental in taking Middlesbrough to the Championship play-offs. Traore’s contributions to his side and his electric style of play earned him the Middlesbrough’s Fans’ Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year awards.

In 2018, Traore signed for newly-promoted Premier League side, Wolverhampton Wanderers, for a fee believed to be in the range of £18 million. Traore was a regular stater for Wolves, and while he was not the most prolific forward in the Premier League, the 26-year-old’s direct style of play, dribbling abilities, and explosive pace made him a handful for most opponents.