Bruno Lage has suggested Adama Traore left Wolverhampton Wanderers at the wrong time as he opened the door to a sensational Molineux return. When asked whether Traore could have made a difference at Wolves in these last four months
Bruno Lage said: “We will never know. The only thing I can say about that is he started the season with good performances, then after that he was not playing too much, also with not good performances. But after, with time and training, he started to give us the impact we needed. The last games he played for us he gave us the impact we needed. He scored goals and made assists. We will never know what he could have given to us if he stayed, all I can say is that when he left it was when he was in a good moment with us.”
The most likely scenario is that Wolves owners Fosun ask Jorge Mendes to move Traore elsewhere once he returns from Barcelona. Traore has rejected Wolves’ contract offers over the past two years and an extension remains unlikely. With just a year remaining on Traore’s deal, Wolves will have to take a loss on the £18m they paid Middlesbrough for the winger in 2018. There is a less realistic outcome that appeals to Lage which is, of course, that Traore returns to Wolves and rejoins the first team squad next season.
Bruno Lage added: “I don’t have any problem with him, he’s a good professional. It’s about him. There are a lot of things in question and we need to understand what is best for the club and what is best for the player. If he starts the season with us, it’s one more player. He would need to work hard and I am here to help him to be better.”
