Spanish footballer
In this
Spanish name
, the first or paternal
surname
is
Traore
and the second or maternal family name is
Diarra
.
Adama Traore Diarra
(born 25 January 1996) is a Spanish professional
footballer
who plays as a
right winger
for club
Liverpool
.
Traore began his career with
Barcelona
, appearing mainly for
the reserves
. In 2015, he signed for
Aston Villa
and a year later
Middlesbrough
, before joining
Wolverhampton Wanderers
in August 2018. He played exactly 200 games for Wolves, scoring 14 times, and was loaned back to Barcelona in 2022 before joining Fulham a year later.
Traore has represented Spain internationally at both youth and senior levels, making his senior debut in 2020 and being chosen for
UEFA Euro 2020
.
Club career
[
edit
]
Barcelona
[
edit
]
Traore was born in
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
,
Barcelona
,
Catalonia
, to Malian parents.
[4]
He joined
Barcelona
's youth setup in 2004 at the age of eight, after a brief period with neighbouring
L'Hospitalet
.
[5]
In 2013 he was promoted to
the B-team
, and made his debut on 6 October in a 0?1 away defeat against
Ponferradina
in the
Segunda Division
championship.
[6]
On 9 November 2013, Traore came on as a half-time
substitute
but was sent off for conceding a penalty in a 0?3 loss to
Real Jaen
at the
Mini Estadi
.
[7]
Two weeks later, he played his first
La Liga
game at the age of 17, replacing
Neymar
late on in the 4?0 home win over
Granada
;
[8]
he made his first appearance in the
UEFA Champions League
on 26 November, coming on for
Cesc Fabregas
in the 82nd minute of a 1?2 defeat away to
Ajax
in
the group stage
.
[9]
Traore also featured for Barcelona's under-19 side in
the inaugural edition
of the
UEFA Youth League
, playing five games and scoring twice as they won the trophy.
[10]
He scored his first official goal for Barcelona's first team on 16 December 2014, playing 16 minutes and contributing in an 8?1 home victory over
SD Huesca
in the
2014?15 Copa del Rey
.
[11]
Aston Villa
[
edit
]
On 14 August 2015, Traore joined
Premier League
club
Aston Villa
on a five-year deal for a reported £7 million (€10 million) that could rise to €12 million, with Barcelona inserting a three-year buy-back clause in his contract.
[12]
He made his debut eight days later against
Crystal Palace
, contributing to a lone own goal as Villa were defeated 2-1.
[13]
He scored his first goal three days later, the team's first of a 5?3 home win over
Notts County
in
the second round
of the
League Cup
.
[14]
Traore came on as a second-half substitute for a bottom-of-the-table Villa side away to relegation rivals
Sunderland
on 2 January 2016, and
assisted
compatriot
Carles Gil
's equaliser ? he was later substituted himself, and Sunderland won 3?1.
[15]
Following that game, he was dropped from the team due to ill discipline,
[16]
as Villa ended the season relegated, in last place, on 17 points.
Middlesbrough
[
edit
]
On 31 August 2016, Traore signed a four-year contract with
Middlesbrough
and
Albert Adomah
moved in the opposite direction; the fees were undisclosed.
[17]
He made his debut on 10 September 2016 in a 1?2 home loss to
Crystal Palace
, replacing
Cristhian Stuani
for the final nine minutes;
[18]
during
his first season
, he took part in 31 matches without scoring.
[19]
Traore played well in
2017?18
, first under
Garry Monk
and then
Tony Pulis
, with his pace sometimes causing several problems for opposition defenders, including an impressive performance against
Leeds United
on 2 March 2018 in a 3?0 win.
[20]
He totalled five goals and ten assists during the campaign as his team reached
the play-offs
in the
Championship
,
[21]
where they were
knocked out
by his former side Aston Villa;
[22]
he won Middlesbrough's Fans' Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year awards.
[23]
Wolverhampton Wanderers
[
edit
]
On 8 August 2018, Traore joined newly promoted
Wolverhampton Wanderers
on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee
[24]
in the region of £18 million.
[25]
He scored his first goal for the team and in the Premier League on 1 September ? in his 40th appearance in the competition ? in a 1?0 win away to
West Ham United
.
[26]
His first start occurred on 27 October, in a 0?1 away defeat to
Brighton & Hove Albion
.
[27]
On 6 October 2019, in his 50th competitive appearance for Wolves, Traore scored both goals in a 2?0 away victory against reigning champions
Manchester City
.
[28]
He scored his first goal in a European competition as Wolves drew 3?3 away to
Braga
in the
UEFA Europa League
group stage on 28 November.
[29]
Traore scored his debut
Molineux
goal for the club in a 1?2 defeat to
Tottenham Hotspur
in the Premier League on 15 December 2019.
[30]
He won the
PFA
Player of the Month award for January 2020 with 45 percent of fan votes.
[31]
Traore's first goal for Wolves in the 2020?21 season came in their 1?0 home victory over
Crystal Palace
in a
FA Cup
third-round game on 8 January 2021.
[32]
He marked his 100th Premier League appearance for Wolves with his tenth goal for the club in a 2?1 victory over
Brighton & Hove Albion
at Molineux on 9 May 2021.
[33]
He scored his debut goal of the
2021?22 season
on 15 January 2022, in a 3?1
Premier League
victory over
Southampton
at Molineux.
[34]
On 29 January 2022, Traore joined Barcelona on loan for the rest of the season, with the option of a permanent deal possible.
[35]
As Barcelona did not take up the option, he returned to Wolves at the season's end.
[36]
Traore's first start for Wolves in the 2022?23 season after his loan at Barcelona in the second-half of the 2021?22 season came in a 2?1 victory over
Preston North End
at Molineux in the
EFL Cup
on 23 August 2022, in which he scored Wolves's second.
[37]
He scored his 10th Premier League goal (and 14th goal for Wolves in total) on 4 March 2023, ensuring a 1?0 home win against
Tottenham Hotspur
.
[38]
On 3 June 2023, Wolves announced Traore would leave at the end of his contract.
[39]
Fulham
[
edit
]
On 12 August 2023, Traore joined fellow
Premier League
club
Fulham
on a free transfer. He signed a two-year deal with the option of a third.
[40]
On 2 March 2024, Traore scored his first goal for Fulham, scoring the third goal in a 3?0 victory over
Brighton
.
[41]
International career
[
edit
]
On 17 February 2014, the
Malian Football Federation
reported that Traore and his older brother
Moha
had decided to represent
Mali
at senior level.
[42]
However, in an interview with BBC Sport in October 2015, the former stated that he was still considering his international options.
[43]
He made his debut for the
Spanish under-21s
on 22 March 2018, playing 15 minutes in the 5?3 away win over
Northern Ireland
in the
2019 UEFA European Championship
qualifiers
.
[44]
In November 2019, Traore declared that he wanted to play for Mali. However, days later he received his first call-up in the
Spain national team
for
Euro 2020
qualifying matches
against
Malta
and
Romania
in place of injured
Rodrigo
.
[45]
He pulled out of the squad voluntarily due to injury, and was replaced by
Pablo Sarabia
.
[46]
In January 2020, he said he had not decided between Spain and Mali after a photograph of him posing with a Mali shirt circulated online, saying "I am grateful (to have the chance) with the two international teams - Spain where I was born and Mali where my origins are."
[47]
In August 2020, Traore was again called up ahead of Spain's September
UEFA Nations League
matches against
Germany
and
Ukraine
.
[48]
However, he was removed from the squad after testing positive for
COVID-19
on 31 August.
[49]
He missed the Germany match as he awaited the result of the second test to determine if the initial result was a
false positive
. The second test result was negative and Traore rejoined the squad on 3 September, ahead of the Ukraine match.
[50]
On 6 September, Traore was once again ordered to leave the camp after a
PCR test
showed a high antibody count.
[51]
On 7 October 2020, Traore made his first appearance for Spain in a friendly match against
Portugal
, coming on as a substitute in the 62nd minute. The match ended in a scoreless draw.
[52]
On 10 October, Traore again came on as a substitute for Spain in a Nations League match against
Switzerland
.
[53]
Both Mali and Spain had named Traore to their respective squads for their matches during the
October international fixture window
,
[54]
but with his appearance in a competitive match against Switzerland, he is
cap-tied
to Spain and
FIFA eligibility rules
prevents him from representing Mali.
[55]
On 24 May 2021, he was included in
Luis Enrique
's
24-man squad
for
UEFA Euro 2020
.
[56]
The team reached the semi-finals, though his input was limited to 14 minutes as a substitute in a group win over
Slovakia
.
[57]
Style of play
[
edit
]
Tim Sherwood
, Traore's manager at Villa, compared him to both
Lionel Messi
and
Cristiano Ronaldo
, saying he had "a bit" of both. Catherine Wilson of
ESPN FC
credited his "athleticism", though also remarked that his "footballing brain and teamwork skills are definitely up for debate" as he can only run in a straight line.
[58]
In 2018, ESPN's Matt Stanger acknowledged Traore's pace and strength, and added that he "is now showing the composure to find the killer pass", while boasting "rapid acceleration" and "excellent close control to shield the ball from defenders"; Stanger also believed Traore's "defensive contribution" to be developed, pointing his key weaknesses as "moments of recklessness" and "decision-making" which "continues to frustrate his teammates";
[59]
he was also described by
Teesside Gazette
'
s Philip Tallentire as a 'talismanic playmaker', after his form during the 2017?18 season.
[23]
The
Daily Mirror
listed Traore second in the top 10 fastest players of the
2019?20 Premier League
season, with a top speed of 23.48 mph.
[60]
While with Wolverhampton Wanderers, after his first three appearances as a substitute, Michael Butler of
The Guardian
reported: "Traore has always been regarded as a rough diamond, lightning quick but perhaps lacking composure or an end product. [...] Per 90 minutes, nobody in the Premier League has created more chances than the 22-year-old or completed even half the number of successful
dribbles
:
Eden Hazard
has 5.56 to Traore's 11.87.
[61]
Personal life
[
edit
]
Traore's elder brother,
Moha
, is also a footballer.
[62]
He is a practicing Muslim who fasts during the Islamic month of Ramadan.
[63]
[64]
[65]
Career statistics
[
edit
]
Club
[
edit
]
- As of match played 19 May 2024
[66]
International
[
edit
]
- As of match played 8 September 2021
[67]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team
|
Year
|
Apps
|
Goals
|
Spain
|
2020
|
5
|
0
|
2021
|
3
|
0
|
Total
|
8
|
0
|
Honours
[
edit
]
Barcelona Youth
Barcelona
Individual
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Squads for 2016/17 Premier League confirmed"
. Premier League. 1 September 2016
. Retrieved
15 September
2016
.
- ^
"Adama Traore: Overview"
. ESPN
. Retrieved
11 April
2023
.
- ^
"Adama Tafadzwa Traore"
. FC Barcelona
. Retrieved
2 February
2022
.
- ^
Gabilondo, Aritz (24 February 2012).
"Mis padres llegaron de Mali en los 80. Yo soy de Barcelona..."
[My parents arrived from Mali in the 80s. I am from Barcelona...].
Diario AS
(in Spanish). Madrid
. Retrieved
23 November
2013
.
- ^
Capdevila, Josep (4 April 2013).
"Adama Traore, juvenil de primer ano, puede ser la gran novedad del Barca B el sabado"
[Adama Traore, first-year
juvenil
, may be Barca B surprise Saturday].
Sport
(in Spanish). Barcelona
. Retrieved
23 November
2013
.
- ^
"Ponferradina ? Barca B: Un penalti condena al filial (1?0)"
[Ponferradina ? Barca B: Penalty condemns reserves (1?0)] (in Spanish). FC Barcelona. 6 October 2013
. Retrieved
23 November
2013
.
- ^
"FC Barcelona B v Real Jaen: Bad luck in front of goal (0?3)"
. FC Barcelona. 9 November 2013
. Retrieved
17 September
2016
.
- ^
"Granada pay the penalty"
.
ESPN FC
. 23 November 2013
. Retrieved
23 November
2013
.
- ^
"Ajax claim Barcelona scalp to stay in contention"
. UEFA. 26 November 2013
. Retrieved
27 November
2013
.
- ^
a
b
"First Youth League title goes Barcelona's way"
. UEFA. 14 April 2014
. Retrieved
2 February
2015
.
- ^
a
b
Egea, Pablo (16 December 2014).
"Los suplentes cules tambien cuentan"
[The
cule
backups also count].
Marca
(in Spanish). Madrid
. Retrieved
18 December
2014
.
- ^
"Adama Traore: Barcelona winger joins Aston Villa"
.
BBC Sport
. 14 August 2015
. Retrieved
14 August
2015
.
- ^
Emons, Michael (22 August 2015).
"Crystal Palace 2?1 Aston Villa"
.
BBC Sport
. Retrieved
27 August
2015
.
- ^
"Aston Villa 5?3 Notts County"
.
BBC Sport
. 25 August 2015
. Retrieved
25 August
2015
.
- ^
Young, Chris (2 January 2016).
"Sunderland 3 Aston Villa 1: Jermain Defoe double secures priceless win"
.
Sunderland Echo
. Archived from
the original
on 3 January 2016
. Retrieved
3 January
2016
.
- ^
Evans, Gregg (8 April 2016).
"Will Adama Traore start for Aston Villa? Here's what Eric Black has to say on the matter"
.
Birmingham Mail
. Retrieved
16 April
2016
.
- ^
"Deadline day: Aston Villa's Adama Traore joins Boro"
. Middlesbrough F.C. 31 August 2016
. Retrieved
31 August
2016
.
- ^
Tallentire, Philip (12 September 2016).
"Karanka on Adama Traore: 'I never bring a player in just to be on the bench'
"
.
Teesside Gazette
. Middlesbrough
. Retrieved
17 September
2016
.
- ^
Lewis, Darren (20 June 2017).
"Chelsea ready to make a shock move for Middlesbrough winger Adama Traore"
.
Daily Mirror
. London
. Retrieved
10 August
2018
.
- ^
Urquhart, Joe (2 March 2018).
"Middlesbrough 3 Leeds United 0: Wiedwald faces wrath of Whites fans after Riverside defeat"
.
Yorkshire Evening Post
. Leeds
. Retrieved
14 July
2018
.
- ^
"Wolves complete signing of winger Traore"
.
The New York Times
. 8 August 2018
. Retrieved
10 August
2018
.
- ^
Scott, Ged (15 May 2018).
"Aston Villa 0?0 Middlesbrough"
.
BBC Sport
. Retrieved
14 July
2018
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
Tallentire, Philip (7 May 2018).
"Middlesbrough's award winner Adama Traore is linked with big money move in the summer"
.
Teesside Gazette
. Middlesbrough
. Retrieved
14 July
2018
.
- ^
"Traore completes Molineux move"
. Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 8 August 2018
. Retrieved
8 August
2018
.
- ^
Stone, Simon (29 January 2019).
"Wolves in talks with Atletico Madrid over £18m deal for Jonny Castro Otto"
.
BBC Sport
. Retrieved
29 January
2019
.
- ^
Oscroft, Tim (1 September 2018).
"Wolverhampton Wanderers 0?1 West Ham United"
.
BBC Sport
. Retrieved
8 September
2018
.
- ^
"Brighton 1?0 Wolves: Match report"
. Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 27 October 2018
. Retrieved
29 October
2018
.
- ^
Stone, Simon (6 October 2019).
"Man City 0?2 Wolves: Champions beaten at home"
.
BBC Sport
. Retrieved
6 October
2019
.
- ^
"Braga 3?3 Wolves: Premier League side progress after thrilling draw"
.
BBC Sport
. 28 November 2019.
- ^
Poole, Harry (15 December 2019).
"Wolves 1?2 Tottenham: Late Jan Vertonghen goal seals win for Jose Mourinho's side"
.
BBC Sport
.
- ^
"Adama Traore crowned PFA player of the month for January"
.
Express & Star
. 3 February 2020
. Retrieved
3 February
2020
.
- ^
"Wolverhampton Wanderers 1?0 Crystal Palace: Adama Traore sends hosts through"
.
BBC Sport
. 8 January 2021.
- ^
Dawkes, Phil (9 May 2021).
"Wolves 2?1 Brighton: Nuno eager to 'build and improve' players"
. BBC Sport.
- ^
Mann, Mantej (22 January 2022).
"Wolves 3?1 Southampton: Adama Traore's first goal of season seals win"
. BBC Sport.
- ^
"Adama Traore comes to FC Barcelona on loan"
. FC Barcelona. 29 January 2022
. Retrieved
29 January
2022
.
- ^
sport.es (30 June 2022).
"Adama Traore returns to Wolves, Barca don't take up option to buy"
.
sport.es
. Retrieved
14 May
2023
.
- ^
"Wolverhampton Wanderers 2?1 Preston North End: Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore seal win"
. BBC Sport. 23 August 2022.
- ^
Millington, Adam (4 March 2023).
"Wolves 1?0 Tottenham: Traore seals win which damages visitors' Champions League qualification bid"
.
BBC Sport
. Retrieved
5 March
2023
.
- ^
"Moutinho, Costa and Traore to leave Wolves"
.
BBC Sport
. 3 June 2023
. Retrieved
3 June
2023
.
- ^
"Adama Traore: Fulham sign Spain winger on free transfer after Wolves departure"
.
BBC Sport
. 12 August 2023
. Retrieved
12 August
2023
.
- ^
Jackson, Bobbie (2 March 2024).
"Fulham 3?0 Brighton: Harry Wilson, Rodrigo Muniz & Adama Traore score"
. BBC Sport
. Retrieved
7 April
2024
.
- ^
"Barca's Adama Traore to play for Mali"
.
SuperSport
.
MultiChoice
. 17 February 2014
. Retrieved
18 February
2014
.
- ^
Okeleji, Oluwashina (4 October 2015).
"Aston Villa's Traore in no rush to decide international future"
.
BBC Sport
. Retrieved
2 September
2016
.
- ^
"International round-Up: Traore makes international bow"
. Middlesbrough F.C. 23 March 2018
. Retrieved
23 March
2018
.
- ^
Munday, Billy (10 November 2019).
"Adama Traore called into Spain squad to replace injured Rodrigo"
.
Marca
. Retrieved
10 November
2019
.
- ^
"Wolves' Adama Traore forced to withdraw from Spain squad"
.
BBC Sport
. 11 November 2019
. Retrieved
11 November
2019
.
- ^
"Wolves' winger Adama Traore yet to decide between Spain and Mali"
.
BBC Sport
. 3 January 2020.
- ^
"Ansu Fati, Adama Traore Called Into New-Look Spain National Team Squad"
. Associated Press. 20 August 2020
. Retrieved
21 August
2020
.
- ^
"Adama Traore tests positive for COVID-19 and will not join Spain squad"
.
Marca
. 31 August 2020
. Retrieved
1 September
2020
.
- ^
Edwards, Joe (3 September 2020).
"Wolves receive Adama Traore boost after initial Covid-19 scare"
.
Express & Star
. Retrieved
4 September
2020
.
- ^
Maroto, Joaquin (6 September 2020).
"Adama Traore quits Spain camp after positive PCR test"
.
AS.com
. Archived from
the original
on 14 May 2021
. Retrieved
5 October
2020
.
- ^
Wilson, Joseph (8 October 2020).
"With an abundance of talent, Traore gives Spain a new weapon"
. Associated Press.
[
dead link
]
- ^
"Spain 1?0 Switzerland"
.
BBC Sport
. 10 October 2020.
- ^
"Wolves' Adama Traore arrives for Spain duty rather than Mali"
.
bbc.com
. 5 October 2020
. Retrieved
5 October
2020
.
- ^
"Africa Sports roundup: Lifetime ban of Ghanaian official cut to 15 years"
.
The Citizen
. 12 October 2020
. Retrieved
13 October
2020
.
- ^
Seleccion Espanola de Futbol [@SeFutbol] (24 May 2021).
"?? OFICIAL | ¡¡¡NUESTRA SELECCION!!!
???? Estos son los 24 futbolistas que defenderan los colores de la @SeFutbol en la #EURO2020.
???? ¡¡Vuestro grito de animo sera nuestra energia en la lucha por el Campeonato de Europa!!
#SomosEspana
#SomosFederacion t.co/KY87e0im3p"
(
Tweet
) (in Spanish)
. Retrieved
24 May
2021
– via
Twitter
.
- ^
Pinnock, Hannah (7 July 2001).
"Fans say the same thing about Adama Traore as Spain exit Euro 2020"
.
Birmingham Mail
. Retrieved
17 December
2023
.
- ^
Wilson, Catherine (18 January 2017).
"Boro would miss Traore's tenacity, urgency if he were sold to Chelsea"
.
ESPN FC
. Retrieved
18 January
2017
.
- ^
Stanger, Matt (7 March 2018).
"Scouting spotlight: Jonathan Tah, Adama Traore, Andrija Zivkovic"
.
ESPN
. Retrieved
23 March
2018
.
- ^
Polden, Jake (29 July 2020).
"Premier League's top 10 fastest players as Adama Traore misses out on No.1 spot"
.
Daily Mirror
. Retrieved
22 November
2020
.
- ^
"Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend"
.
The Guardian
. 14 September 2018.
- ^
Gascon, Javier (9 February 2014).
"Mali viene a buscar a Adama"
[Mali come to get Adama].
Mundo Deportivo
(in Spanish)
. Retrieved
30 April
2016
.
- ^
Khan, Danyal.
"Adama Traore: Wolves winger opens up about his faith and what Ramadan means to him"
.
Sky Sports
. Retrieved
17 November
2023
.
- ^
"Adama Traore Wife Or Girlfriend Name - Is He From Muslim Family? Religion"
.
showbizcorner.com
. Retrieved
17 November
2023
.
- ^
"Wolves sign the Muslim athletes' charter | Equality | News"
.
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C
. Retrieved
17 November
2023
.
- ^
"Adama Traore: Summary"
.
Soccerway
.
Perform Group
. Retrieved
2 March
2024
.
- ^
"Adama Traore Diarra"
.
European Football
. Retrieved
10 October
2020
.
- ^
"El once ideal de la Liga Adelante 2013/14"
[Liga Adelante's All-Star XI 2013/14] (in Spanish).
Liga de Futbol Profesional
. 9 June 2014
. Retrieved
10 August
2018
.
- ^
Swarbrick, Rosie (3 February 2020).
"Adama Traore crowned PFA player of the month for January"
.
Express & Star
. Retrieved
10 February
2020
.
External links
[
edit
]