MOT View: Leeds must sign Adama Traore, offer reportedly tabled
Leeds United recently tabled a £30million offer for Wolves attacker Adama Traore, claims Times journalist Duncan Castles.
The Whites are looking to sign a wide forward and have identified Traore as a potential option in this window.
However, Castles believes that he is not too keen on moving to Elland Road as he sees Leeds at the same level as Wolves and feels he deserves a step up this summer or whenever he leaves Molineux.
“They were prepared to pay £30million for Adama who’s a player well known to Leeds United director of football Victor Orta who signed him from Aston Villa when he was at Middlesbrough.
“My guidance is that he’s not interested in moving there as he does not want a move sidewards but upwards to a club with Champions League status or at least very realistic chances of reaching the Champions League soon.
“He has been placed on the market by Wolves. They think he’s one of the players they can raise significant cash from.”
Can convince him
Marcelo Bielsa is an influential manager and is known to sell a picture to players.
Raphinha, for example, opted against playing in the Champions League and moving to Elland Road the year we got back without any guarantees of our Premier League status.
In terms of us being par with Wolves, that could be Castles’ reading into the situation as we’re quite clear in terms of our squad and we have a manager who’s been at the helm for three years and taken the club forward each season.
Wolves are where they are because of Jorge Mendes’ influence and the players they had in the Championship were arguably Champions League level talents.
Traore is a player who would fit in perfectly at Leeds and we’ve got to do everything we can to sign him this summer.
He’s a runner, is versatile and a physical specimen – three things Bielsa likes his players to be.
He may not have a solid end product, but everything about him screams a Leeds United player.
The 25-year-old has earned plaudits for his performances over the past few seasons and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is also an admirer.
Per The Liverpool Echo, Klopp said, “The speed of Traore is actually undefendable in moments.
“Adama is unique, I repeat, when I say unique I say unique all over football. There is no player like Adama.”
Convincing him should not be too difficult as Orta has previous history with him and his influence could come in handy.
Wolves are also in dire need of funds so would probably accept the offer that’s on the table for him.
In other Leeds United news, Centre-mid visited Thorp Arch after Leeds agreed terms with club, player decision made – report