Wolves' £9.5m signing set for u-turn with 'agreement reached' ahead of club confirmation
The midfielder played just one minute of Premier League football last season
A Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder that was signed during Bruno Lage’s final summer transfer window at Molineux is expected to complete a move away from the West Midlands this summer after making just 41 appearances across all competitions in three seasons.
Mali international Boubacar Traoré arrived on a season-long loan deal from French side Metz in the summer of 2022, becoming a direct replacement for the outgoing Leander Dendoncker after his move to Aston Villa.
Traoré had shown signs of promise for a Metz team that were relegated from Ligue 1 the previous season, and his loan deal included a £10m option to buy clause which was activated the following year.
How has Boubacar Traore fared at Wolves?
Boubacar Traore racked up 15 appearances across all competitions in his debut campaign, with just 10 of those coming in the Premier League - and only four of those being starts. He scored his one and only Wolves goal during that season as his side defeated Leeds United 1-0 in the League Cup. He also claimed one assist that term in a 3-2 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League.
The Mali midfielder had a disjointed first campaign, marred by a serious groin injury which kept him out from December 2022 until May 2023. But after securing a permanent move, he started to rack up more minutes under Gary O’Neil, making 27 appearances across all competitions in his second term, although only seven of his appearances in the league were starts with the vast majority of his minutes coming from the bench.
Traore played just three senior matches in total last season, falling behind the likes of Andre, Joao Gomes and Marshall Munetsi among others in the pecking order and only playing one minute of top-flight football. A serious Meniscus injury derailed his progress last term and it’s expected he’ll soon be resuming his career in new surroundings after a torrid time with injuries based on recent reports.
What next for Boubacar Traore?
Boubacar Traore’s football career is expected to go full circle with a return to French side Metz being in the pipeline this summer. Newspaper L’Equipe understands Traore is just one step away from a loan return to the French side, with Wolves partially covering his salary as the midfielder looks to regain his fitness and form at the Stade Saint-Symphorien next season.
Metz, recently promoted back to Ligue 1, are expecting to welcome Traoré back to the club on a one-year loan deal to help aid their survival push but there’s currently no suggestions that the deal will include any option or obligation to buy on a permanent at this stage. Traoré made 33 appearances in total for Metz, including 27 in his final season, scoring twice and contributing one assist.
Elsewhere, Wolves are in the market for further reinforcements, with manager Vitor Pereira admitting that he’d like to see more activity. Speaking in an interview with O Jogo, Pereira said: “I’m waiting. I honestly believe the club has been working hard, but the market isn’t easy. It’s easy for teams with a lot of money, so they just have to come in and get what they want. I’ve seen some million-dollar signings, but we don’t have that capacity, so we have to be more organised.
“But of course I have to understand the market. I have to understand that the market isn’t easy, but time is passing, and I know that in a month we’ll face City, already loaded with reinforcements, and we can’t make the same mistake as last year, which was starting the championship poorly, falling into the relegation zone, and then it’s a pain.
“I should be working with everyone right now, preparing ourselves to be as competitive as possible right from the start, but I’m working with ten or twelve young players from the academy and I can’t prepare properly and as we should because the team is missing key positions, and we’re waiting.”