Wolves attacker Adama Traore has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad.
The Spaniard’s contract at Molineux expires at the end of June, and speculation has been rife in recent months about his future.
Traore has long been linked with an exit from the club.
But he has stayed put at Wolves, and has stayed on the same contract he signed when he joined from Middlesbrough.
Julen Lopetegui is on record as saying he wants the 27-year-old to stay. He said recently that the club were working on getting Traore tied down.
But there has still been no movement on that.
Traore said in an interview with Sky Sports earlier this year: “The contract thing – it will depend on the club, the club have to talk to me and we’re going to talk and we’ll see what happens…”
He has been linked with the likes of Napoli and Atletico Madrid.
But now there is potentially a new club in the race.
French outlet Foot Mercato have boldly claimed Saudi outfit Al-Ittihad are keen to sign Traore when his contract expires.
And a move there would see Traore reunite with former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo.
131 of Traore’s 188 Wolves appearances came under Nuno. He scored 10 goals and made 18 assists when he was at the helm.
Adama Traore surely will not go and join Al-Ittihad and reunite with Nuno Espirito Santo
It would be a major surprise of Traore make this move.
He has been linked with some big clubs in Europe, and there are probably other clubs that will come in for him if he isn’t going to extend at Wolves.
He surely won’t be tempted to go and play in the Saudi Pro League, even though he would potentially earn a lot of money.
Traore still has a lot to prove.
Joining Al-Ittihad on a free transfer at the age of 27 would undoubtedly make him the subject of ridicule.
He surely doesn’t want that. He is easily good enough to be playing for a competitive team in Europe.
It just feels a bit of a lazy link given Nuno is Al-Ittihad’s manager.