Antonio Conte has his eyes on Wolves Adama Traoré as a would-be right wingback, a player who divides opinion amongst Tottenham supporters.
The top flight’s premier dribbler
The 25-year-old is an athletic phenom whose physical prowess allows him to dominate most opponents in one-on-one situations.
A nightmare to cope with on the dribble, Traoré has an uncanny ability to blow past even the most fleet of foot defender. He leads the Premier League in dribbles per game (4.7) and, aside from Newcastle’s Allan Saint-Maximin (4.2 dribbles per game), is head and shoulders above the rest, with Lucas Moura (2.5 dribbles per game) in a distant third place.
Traoré has historically caused Tottenham’s rearguard fits when the teams do battle. With explosive pace, the build of a world-class 100-metre sprinter and fitted with unparalleled power, it’s easy to become intoxicated by Traoré’s exciting allure.
More often than not, Traoré plays as an advanced winger for Wolves. However, the explosive attacking force hasn’t had things all his own way this season. He’s made 17 appearances, 11 of which in a starting role, but hasn’t managed a goal or assist thus far.
His lack of offensive contribution this season isn’t entirely down to a discernible absence of quality from the big man. Wolves have the unenviable record of being the division’s second lowest scores. Only bottom feeders Norwich, with eight goals, have scored less than Wolves’ 13. So while Traoré isn’t having the accomplished season he’d like, he might be entirely more prolific with a stronger supporting cast.
No end product from the big man
People are likening Traoré to Victor Moses, pointing to the success Conte had with Moses at Chelsea. The big questions is whether the Wolves man has a quality final touch in his locker. Conte is steadfast on finding an improvement for Emerson Royal, whose final touch leaves a lot to be desired. Royal is still young and needs more time to adapt to life in the Premier League, but is Traoré the man to provide that coveted final touch while helping the Brazilian with his development?
Tottenham don’t need another player who can beat players willy nilly only to trip over the final hurdle. Conte transformed Moses into an incredibly effective right wing back, so there’s no reason why he wouldn’t be able to accomplish the same feat with a superior athletic specimen. But I’m not sure having two right wingbacks devoid of the ability to swing in an accurate cross is the answer.
The debate about whether Spurs should sign Traoré will surely rage on. The opinion that matters most is Conte’s and if he believes Traoré has the ability to locate the final product, who are we to disagree. Though I wouldn’t pay more than £20 million to find out.