In what’s being lauded as one of the craftiest moves of the summer, Fulham have opened their arms wide to Adama Traore. Following a five-year sojourn at Wolves, which witnessed him net 14 goals from 200 outings, the Spanish speedster has become the latest jewel in the Cottagers’ crown, having been snapped up on a free transfer.
Beginning his footballing foray at the hallowed grounds of Barcelona, Traore has a CV that could rival many.
Spells at Aston Villa and Middlesbrough adorned his footballing tapestry before he graced the Molineux in 2018.
There was a brief romantic reunion with Barca at the twilight of the 2021-22 season, although the Catalan giants let the summer sun set without penning him to a permanent deal.
While the former Barcelona and Middlesbrough sensation has agreed to a two-year sojourn with Fulham, there’s a whisper in the corridors about an added option — a potential third year in the offing.
“It’s a nice opportunity for me, another chapter,” Traore mused. His palpable enthusiasm shone through as he continued, “I’m excited and hungry to give 100% here.”
What’s equally interesting is the club’s prior acquisition of Raul Jimenez, Traore’s former Wolves compatriot. The camaraderie is evident, with Traore noting, “I like the club. I also have information from Raul, who seems to love the club.”
With the Premier League being an unforgiving battleground, adding someone of Traore’s mettle might just be the ace up Fulham’s sleeve.
As the Cottagers prepare for the upcoming campaign, it’s evident that with signings like Traore, they’re not just here to participate, they’re here to compete.
Only time will tell how this story unfolds, but for now, the Fulham faithful have every reason to believe in a brighter tomorrow.
Fulham FC statement:
The Club is delighted to confirm the signing of Adama Traore.
The 27-year-old winger has agreed to a contract with us until the summer of 2025, with the Club holding an option to further extend by 12 months, following the expiry of his contract with Wolverhampton Wanderers last month.
"It’s a nice opportunity for me," he told FFCtv upon his arrival in South West London. "Another chapter. I like the Club, I also have information from Raúl [Jimenéz], who seems to love the club.
"I’m excited and hungry to give 100 per cent here."
Tony Khan added: "I'm thrilled to welcome Adama Traore to Fulham Football Club. He's an explosive and powerful winger with great pace, and he has tremendous experience in the Premier League.
"He’s a player with whom we are very familiar, and he's been on the opposing side of our team on numerous occasions; I believe that he'll be a great addition to Marco’s squad.
"I’m excited that Adama has joined us on a two-year deal with an option. Come on Fulham!"
Known for his blistering pace and physical prowess, Adama Traore will be reunited with former teammate Raúl Jiménez, who joined earlier this summer.
The winger is no stranger to English football, having previously had stints at Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, before making the move to Wolves in 2018.
Traore joined Villa from Barcelona but left the West Midlands club after one season, moving to Middlesbrough the following year. In his first season on Teesside, he made 31 appearances across the Premier League and FA Cup.
In the Championship, the Spanish international helped Boro into the Play-Offs with five goals and 10 assists, where he also won a hat-trick of awards: Fans' Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year.
Adama made the switch the following season to newly promoted Wolves, where he made just short of 200 appearances, adding 14 goals and 20 assists to his career tally, as well as gaining invaluable experience of European football, where he scored goals against SC Braga and Espanyol in Wolves' Europa League campaign. He also famously scored two late goals against Manchester City in 2019 at the Etihad Stadium.
In January 2022, the Spaniard returned to his former club Barcelona on loan for six months and headed back to his parent club that summer. Last season, most notably, he scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
Traore has also made eight international appearances for Spain, his first coming in a friendly match against Portugal in 2020. In 2021, Luis Enrique called upon his services for the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.