According to EuroSport, Leeds are ready to pay £40m to sign Wolves winger Adama Traore this summer, and we can’t help but feel that this would be a big mistake.
£40m would represent a club-record deal for Leeds United, but in our view, Traore isn’t worth that, at least not to Leeds.
If there’s any position Leeds don’t need to spend a club-record fee to bolster it’s on the right-wing.
Raphinha is arguably the Whites’ best player, and he contributed to 11 more league goals than Traore last season, while he already has understudies in the shape of Helder Costa, Ian Poveda and talented U23 winger Ian Poveda.
Would Traore get into the XI ahead of Raphinha? You’d have to say he wouldn’t, and while Raphinha could shift over to the left, it’s also hard to make a case for dropping Jack Harrison in favour of Traore.
Indeed, Harrison contributed to 12 more goals than Traore last term, and he’s a perfect fit for Bielsa’s system.
So, if Victor Orta spends £40m on Traore, what will his role be? The reality is that he may play second-fiddle behind both Harrison and Raphinha, and you paying that much for a player who may not even be your first choice is an error – such a fee should be reserved for a player who would come in and immediately be your star man.
Is Traore a bad player? Of course he isn’t, on his day he’s unplayable, but the reality is that those days are few and far between, and barring an incredible 2019/20 campaign, the Spaniard has never really lit the Premier League up over a sustained period.
£40m for a player who scored two and assisted two last season seems like poor value.
Leeds already have an expensive winger who warms the bench week-in week-out in the shape of £15m man Helder Costa, and Traore could be set to follow in his former Wolves teammate’s footsteps if he joins Leeds.
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