Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for Adama Traore, and perhaps their former boss’ comments should leave them excited about the links.
Traore has been superb this season in the Championship for Boro. Though they ultimately missed out on a place in the play-off final, the 22-year-old can undoubtedly reflect positively on his season, having scored five times and provided 10 assists.
His genuinely frightening pace was always likely to see him offered the chance to return to the top flight this term if Tony Pulis’ men missed out on promotion, and the Northern Echo is now suggesting that Spurs are in the hunt for his signature – a signature that the Daily Mirror recently suggested is going to cost £30 million.
It is certainly a major gamble to consider paying that amount for a player who has been plying his trade in the second tier this term and is yet to make a huge impact at the highest level, but perhaps Tim Sherwood’s comments when the former Barcelona trainee joined Aston Villa in 2015 should leave Tottenham fans feeling very excited about the links.
Traore is clearly not anywhere near those players, but it does say a lot about his potential that Sherwood was willing to put him under that kind of pressure before he even kicked a ball for the Villans.
It has been a difficult time in England for the attacker, but his form at the Riverside Stadium this season suggests that he is really starting to find his feet and may be ready to start proving why Sherwood had such high hopes for him.
It would be a gamble for Spurs to pursue a deal, but perhaps it may be worth rolling the dice with Traore this summer.
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