Exclusive – Adama Traore is the subject of new interest from Leeds United with his future at Wolverhampton Wanderers uncertain ahead of the January transfer window.
Traoré, who impressed in the Premier League last season, has yet to put his pen to a new contract at Molineux – despite a deal being struck at one point – and is fighting for form so far this trimester. He failed to score a goal or make 15 total appearances in all competitions.
90 mins revealed in November that wolves were getting more and more bored when Traore didn’t put pen to paper on an extension. The club believed a deal was practically done and only minor details remained to be worked out, but as it stands, talks are completely at a standstill.
Traore is looking forward to playing first-team football as there is still a good chance that he will be included in the Spanish squad for the delayed European Championships next summer, after being called up for the international vacation of October and November in recent months.
90 mins has learned that Traore is now considering leaving Wolves to ensure he has regular action, and becoming a key player at Leeds could be an ideal fit for him.
Leeds could soon receive an additional £ 50million at the club as the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers seek closer ties and are ready to increase their existing stake from 10% to 25%.
The owners of the 49ers, who entered into a collaborative partnership with Leeds in 2018 for their initial stake, have been eyeing a controlling stake since the summer when 90 mins revealed before anyone else that there was an interest in buying current owner Andrea Radrizzani.
Leeds aren’t the only club interested in Traore – they are followed by a host of teams – but Elland Road coach Marcelo Bielsa is a particular admirer of the 24-year-old, as is the director of football. from Leeds, Victor Orta.
Traore has deep gratitude for Orta, who previously held a similar role at Middlesbrough, and credits the executive with resuscitating his career by making the move to Riverside Stadium in 2016 a possibility after a disappointing stint at Aston Villa.
The former Barcelona youngster made the step to Wolves in 2018 after being promoted around £ 18million. But if Wolves are to sell in January, they could demand Leeds or other contenders to pay more than double, pushing any potential transfer towards the £ 40million mark.
This is, however, still far less than the initial valuation of around £ 70million they had placed on the player over the previous year, where Liverpool and Manchester City were watching the Spaniard.
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