Ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers man Dave Edwards has tipped Boubacar Traore to be an ‘automatic starter’ for the club.
Writing for the Express & Star, Edwards raved about the 21-year-old, describing him as a ‘different athlete’.
Traore joined Wolves back in September on a season-long loan from French side Metz. The club have the option to make the move permanent.
The Malian has made eight Premier League appearances so far this season, starting four of those games.
Edwards claims that the Wolves faithful know what Traore is all about, but he needs time to adapt to the league given that he’s so young.
He stated: “Traore is a completely different athlete. Rather than just intercept the ball, he is able to get after players. If you have willing forward runners off that, he can pick that pass. He’s been a great addition. For me, at the moment, he’d be an automatic starter.
“There will be moments when he gives the ball away in a dangerous position, makes a rash tackle or isn’t as neat and tidy as you’d want him to be. But we have to remember his age and the jump up he has made. It will take time for him to adapt, but the fans have seen enough of the positive things he can do. The fans have taken to him and understand what he offers.”
TIF Thoughts on Edwards’ comments…
We believe that Traore could be one for the future at Wolves. He’s getting a decent amount of minutes in, and with the recent changes at the club, he could get even more.
Julen Lopetegui was appointed as the new boss at the start of November following the sacking of former Wolves boss Bruno Lage.
Perhaps the Spaniard will look to integrate Traore into his starting XI going forward.
For such a young midfielder, the midfielder is a terrific dribbler. Within the past year, he ranks in the top 15% for dribbles completed when compared with other midfielders in Europe’s top competitions (as per FBref).
There’s no doubt that Lopetegui has a really impressive CV, having managed the likes of Sevilla, Porto and Real Madrid. We think being coached by someone with a strong pedigree could be the best thing for Traore and that the Wolves boss could help take him to the next level.