Tricky teenage attacker Adama Traore swaps Barca for Aston Villa
Published:
After more than decade on Barcelona’s books, talented winger Adama Traore has joined Premier League 11/4 top 10 chances with Coral Aston Villa, after his reported €12m buy-out clause was activated. A three-year buy-back clause, meanwhile, has also been added.
La Masia graduate Traore, 19, has signed on a five-year contract and becomes Tim Sherwood’s 10th summer signing after Scott Sinclair, Micah Richards, Jordan Ayew, Rudy Gestede, Mark Bunn, Idrissa Gueye, Jordan Amavi, Jose Angel Crespo and Jordan Veretout.
“He’s someone I have been tracking for a long time,” Sherwood said.
“He’s physically a man – and he has been for some time. He’s a big powerful boy, very quick, dynamic and a maverick-type player. Those players are few and far between.
“We’re delighted he has chosen Villa to continue his development.”
TRANSFER NEWS: Huge welcome to our new signing Adama Traore, who joins us from @FCBarcelona. #AVFC #WelcomeAdama pic.twitter.com/CSmKLH607a
— Aston Villa FC (@AVFCOfficial) August 14, 2015
Traore made a total of four senior appearances for Barca, in La Liga, the Champions League and twice in the Copa del Rey, one of which he scored in an 8-1 thrashing over Huesca, and will be an excellent option for Villa going forward.
“It’s an honour for me to come here,” the player said. “It’s a club that showed interest in me from the first moment and made me feel important in terms of their project.
“I have spoken to the manager and have a very good impression of him and what he wants from me. All this have made this club my top attraction.
“I would also like to express my gratitude to everyone at Barcelona for helping me develop as a player and as a person.”
Most of Traore’s playing time has been in the Barcelona B team, and he has also earned a number of Spain youth caps, although is also available to represent Mali through his parents.
The Catalan-born attacker is not the first player to leave the Nou Camp for the Premier League this summer, after Gerard Deulofeu joined Everton and Ibrahim Afellay and Moha El Ouriachi both signed for Stoke City.
Villa won the race for highly-rated Traore, after Liverpool and the Potters were also apparently keen, although the latter settled for established Switzerland international Xherdan Shaqiri instead.
