Scout report on Adama Traore - The purest winger to come out of the Barcelona academy?

Adama Traore, a Barcelona star in the making

Adama Traore is a Spanish youngster who plays for FC Barcelona’s B-team as a right winger. He graduated from their very own prestigious La Masia academy and is touted to be the new big thing to rise through the youth ranks of Barcelona.

Player Profile

Born in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Adama joined La Masia, the youth academy of FC Barcelona, in 2004 from the neighborhood club, CE L’Hospitalet. Since then, Adama has played for different age-group teams of Barcelona and impressed with his marvellous performances on right wing.

He was promoted to Juvenil A, the third team of FC Barcelona, in 2012 after a series of excellent performances for Cadete A. Initially, he was played in midfield but looking at his innate ability of dominating the flanks and putting in brilliant crosses, he was shifted to the right wing.

Adama is the purest winger ever to be produced by the academy and is looked upon as a future star of the club’s first team. He was promoted to his current team, FC Barcelona B, in 2013. He continued with his sparkling run of performances there which earned him a contract extension at Barcelona with a clause that would get him promoted to the first team in 2015.

Though his team failed to deliver and have now been relegated, Adama was one of those few players whose individual brilliance kept their chances alive until the end. He also debuted for the first team in the 2013-14 season, where he played just one game and was never called up again.

He got his next opportunity in the current season and he made the most of it by contributing through a terrific goal in the 8-1 win over SD Huesca.

Style, Strength & Weaknesses

Adama is an out-and-out winger who loves to dominate the flanks, dribble through the defences and make pacy runs that result in goals.

He fits perfectly into 4-3-3/ 3-4-3 style of play where wingers need to stretch the defence of the opposition. He rarely cuts inside but dictates the play through the wings with his skills. Adama’s playing style resembles that of Arjen Robben, except for the fact that he has a lot more to do to reach that level.

His strengths lie in his innate ability to make dangerous dribbles and whizz past defenders like a bullet. His crosses are always pin-point & a goal threat. He is versatile and can draw away defenders, creating spaces in middle.

His ability to take long shots gives him an edge in his attacking style of play. Adama is physically strong and well built and doesn’t go down in spite of being the victim of reckless challenges, which make him even more threatening as a player.

However, Adama is hardly a team player and tries to do all things by himself. He lacks the positional awareness and intelligence to pick out incisive passes which make him a little ineffective in team play. Once he develops passing intelligence and the ability to play within a team, like his idol, Lionel Messi, there is no doubt that he’ll be the future star of European football.

Transfer Situation

Adama has recently signed a long term contract with Barcelona and is very highly valued by the club. He will be promoted to the first-team in July and there is a possibility that he might be loaned out to gain first division experience before making his way into the star-studded Barcelona squad.

But, a permanent transfer, as of now, looks impossible as both, the player & the club are against a permanent transfer.