Antonio Conte has been dealt a major setback after failing to sign Adama Traoré, one of his top January targets. Instead, Barcelona has agreed to take the winger on loan from Wolves for the remainder of the season.
Tottenham had been interested in Traoré for some time, and with Fabio Paratici, the managing director of football, leading the discussions, there was optimism late last week that they would be able to sign him.
Conte has made it crystal clear he needs to strengthen his squad but Spurs enter the final four days of the window without a signing. The manager has even betrayed an element of desperation, saying lower-quality recruits would do; in his words “also if it’s not the best opportunity … we need to do something”.
Spurs are still interested in Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat and Porto winger Luis Daz, with the Amrabat deal appearing the most likely to be completed if at least one of Tanguy Ndombele and Dele Alli left, as predicted; both have been marginalized by Conte.
Mauricio Pochettino, the manager of Paris Saint-Germain, is interested in signing Ndombele. He managed the midfielder’s £60 million transfer to Spurs, a club record. Ndombele is also looking forward to the reunion.
Barcelona has the option to acquire Traoré in the summer for €30 million (£25 million) plus add-ons, and they will pay his whole salary until June. On Friday, the 26-year-contract old’s to return to the club where he began his career is set to be finalized.
Wolves would have liked an obligation for Barcelona to buy, but they gave up on that in order to complete the deal, with Traoré refusing to leave the Camp Nou. The youngster had hoped to join Spurs, but the club’s failure to reach an agreement and the arrival of interest from Barcelona altered the picture.
Wolves have accepted Traoré’s decision not to extend his contract beyond next season and have turned down a £15 million bid from Tottenham.