Reported Leeds United target Junior Hamed Traore is a ‘£30 million player’ and ready to make the leap to a bigger club, former AC Milan goalkeeper Giovanni Galli tells Gazetta dello Sport of the Premier League linked midfielder.
The older brother of Manchester United whizzkid Amad Diallo, Traore looks set to follow in the footsteps of his younger sibling this summer. Not necessarily to England, but certainly with a big-money move away from Sassuolo.
Gazzetta dello Sport reported last week that Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United had joined Serie A champions AC Milan in pursuit of the 22-year-old Ivory Coast international.
A hugely talented and tactically flexible footballer, Traore produced eight goals and four assists for Sassuolo in 2021/22. He’s a number ten and a winger rolled into one, equally comfortable picking locks through the middle or cutting in to devastating effect from the left-hand side onto his favoured right foot.
A ‘reverse Raphinha’, if you like.
Leeds want Sassuolo’s Junior Hamed Traore
“I was amazed (when I first saw him). Today Hamed is a £25 or 30 million player,” says Galli, who won two European Cups during his time with the Rossoneri.
“When I saw him, he was playing as a mezzala but with an extraordinary physical strength and technical control.
“Absolutely yes. Even then, he had a great personality and in recent years he has grown a lot in this respect. I believe that he is ready to play in a great team like Milan and to face prestigious stages like that of the Champions League. He is a boy born to take responsibility on the pitch “.
“If I had £25 million to invest in a young player ready for a club like Milan, I would certainly spend it on Traore.”
With Raphinha following Kalvin Phillips out of Elland Road, Marsch will not be short of funds as he looks to inject some fresh blood into a Leeds side in transition.
Traore would not be a readymade replacement for either player though he – like Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca and Brenden Aaronson – should represent an upgrade on those who came before, ensuring a more equal spread of quality throughout the pitch.
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