Adama Traore to Leeds United transfer: Whites’ ‘strong’ stance, price tag claim and Orta link

Wolves have reportedly received contact from Leeds United over a potential transfer for Adama Traore.

The Spain international spent the second half of last season on loan at Barcelona, and is widely expected to leave Molineux this summer after the Catalan giants turned down an option to make his stay at Camp Nou permanent.

For their part, Leeds are understood to be in the market for a winger, with speculation surrounding the departure of star man Raphinha gathering pace.

And a fresh update has suggested that they could look to replace the Brazilian with Traore.

What’s the latest on Leeds United’s interest in Adama Traore?

Last week, online publication TEAMtalk reported that Leeds were planning to make an approach for Traore, and were hopeful of securing a cut-price deal for the winger.

Since then, Football Insider have suggested that the Whites have made contact with Wolves ahead of a potential transfer.

Leeds’ interest is said to be “strong”, with Elland Road chiefs “keeping close tabs” on the 26-year-old.

Renowned for his dribbling abilities, Traore is understood to fit the Whites’ recruitment profile, with Jesse Marsch keen to bring in a player capable of carrying the ball over long distances at pace.

Wolves are reportedly open to selling a player who is entering the final 12 months of his contract at the club, and regard this summer as their final opportunity to secure a considerable fee for his services.

With that in mind, Football Insider claim that a bid of around £18 million could be enough to convince Wanderers into a sale, although Leeds may opt to open with a lower offer.

The Whites’ Director of Football, Victor Orta, previously completed a deal to take Traore to Middlesbrough from Aston Villa in 2016.

Alongside Leeds, Tottenham have also been credited with an interest in the recent past.

Why did Barcelona decide against signing Traore?

During his time with Barcelona, Traore was restricted to just four starts in La Liga, and it became increasingly clear that he was struggling to establish himself as an indispensable asset in the Catalan giants’ squad.

For much of the second half of last season, Barca manager Xavi Hernandez remained coy on Traore’s future in Spain, but did hint that a lack of form was at the heart of his limited game time.

Speaking earlier in the year, the Camp Nou boss said: “We will make a decision [on Traore] as soon as we know the situation of the team.

“It is true that he played well when he came, but he is competing with Ferran [Torres] and [Ousmane] Dembele.

“When Adama was in better form than Dembele, he was playing. We make our choices based on every match.”

It is also understood that the option-to-buy clause in Traore’s contract was valued at around £25.7 million.

Barca have faced well-documented financial issues in recent months, and were always likely to spend unnecessarily on a loanee who ultimately played a relatively small part in their campaign.