Wolves winger Adama Traore undergoing medical at Barcelona ahead of loan deal with option to buy

Wolves winger Adama Traore underwent a medical in Barcelona on Friday ahead of his loan move to the Catalans.

The Spanish side are set to sign the 26-year-old on loan with £30million option to buy. Traore was expected to join Tottenham this week but was not sold on the idea of converting to a wing back under Antonio Conte. 

Spurs saw an initial £15m bid rejected by Wolves last week but were hoping to come back in and reach an agreement with their Premier League colleagues. But Barcelona appeared to have won the race to sign the speedy winger this month. 

The Catalans have agreed a loan with a £30million option to buy for the Spanish-Malian winger

There was a feeling at Spurs that they could get him for around £20m as Traore’s contract expires at the end of next season and Spurs believed they had enough leverage to secure a lower price.

During talks Tottenham tried to use Matt Doherty, who only signed from Wolves at the start of last season, as a makeweight in the deal — but Bruno Lage wasn’t interested in bringing the Republic of Ireland international back.

Spurs also tried to convince Wolves to let them have Traore on loan with an obligation to buy permanently in the summer, but that didn’t prove successful.

Traore (left) was thought to be joining Tottenham but Barcelona have won the race for him

Traore left the Spanish giants in 2015 to join Aston Villa and has also played for Middlesbrough before joining Wolves in 2018.  

Spain international Traore has played 25 times for club and country this season, scoring once.

Barcelona are battling it out to finish in the top four in LaLiga and qualify for next season’s Champions League. They are currently fifth in the standings, a point behind Atletico Madrid who they play in their next league match on February 6. 

Traore came through the ranks at Barcelona before leaving in 2015 to join Aston Villa

The move will be a blow for Spurs and Conte, with the Italian coach desperately seeking reinforcements before the January transfer window ends. 

Like Barcelona, Champions League qualification is the primary aim for Tottenham’s season and they are seventh in the Premier League at present.

They trail fourth-place Manchester United by two points and have two games in hand on the Red Devils. 

Meanwhile, Wolves have signed 19-year-old winger Jeong Sang-bin from Suwon Samsung Bluewings with the South Korean joining Grasshopper Club Zurich on an 18-month loan.