According to reports in the Daily Mail, Newcastle United may join Premier League rivals Chelsea and West Ham United in the race to sign Middlesbrough winger Adama Traore this summer, although the Teesside outfit are reluctant to sell the player, who is rated at £20m according to The Sun.

What’s the word, then?

Well, following a second successive relegation to the Championship after also going down with Aston Villa last year, the Daily Mail says Traore is keen to once again secure a return to the Premier League.

However, new Boro boss Garry Monk is keen to keep hold of the 21-year-old as he believes that he can develop him into a better player next season, and the club are certainly in a position to demand a significant fee for the former Barcelona starlet considering he still has three years remaining on the four-year contract he signed last summer.

How did Traore do last season?

While his build up play was particularly impressive, the end product was often lacking and that is shown in the winger’s stats.

The 21-year-old failed to get on the scoresheet for the second successive Premier League season and provided just one assist as Boro went down with a bit of a whimper.

However, the fact that he completed a remarkable 136 take-ons and frightened defenders with his pace may convince potential suitors that he is worth buying.

Would he be a good signing for Newcastle?

As long as his top flight record isn’t a bad omen, then he could certainly add something.

The fact that he has suffered successive relegations will be a worry for those that believe in fate, but the 21-year-old’s pace and ability to run at defenders could be particularly effective if the Magpies are playing on the counter attack – something they may well do away from home or against the best teams in the division.

He will need to work on his end product though, and the fact that the club already has Matt Ritchie – and have completed a deal for Christian Atsu – would suggest that they have enough options on Traore’s preferred right-wing position.

What’s the verdict, then?

Well, Newcastle seem unlikely to splash out £20m that picked up just one assist last season, especially with the arrival of Christian Atsu, and this is an enquiry that probably won’t come to fruition.