Tottenham have had their first bid for Adama Traore rejected, according to reports, with Wolves standing firm over the winger’s price tag.
25-year-old Traore has been unable to agree a new Wolves contract, despite several meetings with the Molineux club. As his terms expire in June 2023, the January window is one of Wanderers’ last chances to sell for a decent fee.
The player’s situation has led to rumours of a Liverpool switch, but it is now Tottenham who are leading the charge.
Antonio Conte is seemingly a big fan of Traore and wants to convert him into a wing-back, replacing the out-of-form Emerson Royal.
According to BBC Sport, Spurs have acted on their interest by launching a £15million offer. But Bruno Lage’s team have pushed it back as they hold out for £20m.
Spurs will likely return with an improved bid, although it remains to be seen if this will match Traore’s asking price.
The Spain international, who has won eight caps thus far, has had a quiet season in the Premier League. His first goal contribution came in the 3-1 win against Southampton on Saturday.
But Traore still has admirers in the division thanks to his blistering pace and raw power. He glides past defenders before putting dangerous balls into the box, something Conte is clearly looking to capitalise on.
One star who could go in the opposite direction this month is right-back Matt Doherty. He swapped Wolves for Tottenham in August 2020 but has failed to have any real impact since.
Football Insider claim Wanderers are in talks over the 30-year-old’s return. However, it is unclear if this will form part of Traore’s transfer to north London.
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Adama Traore in, Tanguy Ndombele out?
While Traore could be joining Spurs in the next few weeks, central midfielder Tanguy Ndombele looks to be on his way out.
As per The Athletic, Paris Saint-Germain are in talks to take him on loan, which would reunite the Frenchman with Mauricio Pochettino.
PSG are supposedly long-term admirers of Ndombele and want to bring him in to replace Gini Wijnaldum. The latter only moved to France in the summer but has been an underwhelming signing.
The Ligue 1 leaders are only keen on a temporary deal, though. This may also be in Tottenham’s best interests, since they would struggle not to make a significant loss on Ndombele if they sold him now.
Waiting in the hope he regains his form elsewhere could see his market value rise by the summer.
Ndombele originally joined Spurs from Lyon for a club-record £53.8m. However, he has come in for criticism due to his work ethic and lack of impact in big matches.
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