Metz president Bernard Serin admits that Boubacar Traore wants to leave amid interest from Premier League outfit Wolves but Burnley target Georges Mikautadze is going nowhere, speaking to France Bleu.
This is not the first time Wolverhampton Wanderers have tried to lure Traore to Molineux.
According to reports in France, the men from Molineux failed with an £11 million bid in the January transfer window. No wonder Metz refused to budge. They were in the midst of a relegation battle at the time, and had no interest in cashing in on a key player with a few months of the season remaining.
Eight months’ on, with Metz now a second-tier club, it seems only a matter of time before Traore does depart. Whether a deal is possible before 11pm on Thursday, however, only time will tell.
Wolves still hope to sign Boubacar Traore
“Discussions continue for Boubacar Traore, but it’s complex,” explains Serin of his £15 million-rated Malian.
“He wants to leave. We are not satisfied with the offer. But, with English clubs, negotiations can last until the last moment.”
One player who will not be leaving Metz, however, is striker Mikautadze. Burnley saw a £2 million bid rejected for the France-born Georgian, with manager Vincent Kompany indicating that the 21-year-old was ‘out of our range financially’.
“(Mikautadze) will be an FC Metz player this season,” adds director Pierre Dreossi.
In five games, Mikautadze has two goals and three assists already. Traore, meanwhile, was not in the Metz squad for Tuesday’s 4-1 away win at Rodez. A self-confident, swaggering and elegant central midfielder, comparisons can be drawn between Traore and another player who shone in the Premier League after arriving from across the Channel; Tottenham Hotspur’s Yves Bissouma.
Traore’s potential arrival at Wolves, meanwhile, could open the door for Leander Dendoncker to join Everton.
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