Wolves were heavily linked with Metz midfielder Boubacar Traore in January and now that he has been given the green light to leave the French side following their relegation, Bruno Lage must look at bringing him to Molineux.

Football Insider suggests that the Old Gold hold a long-standing interest in the 20-year-old and saw a bid rejected for the Mali international in January, although Metz are now resigned to losing him.

Last season was a breakthrough campaign for Traore, as he made 28 appearances in all competitions for Metz, contributing one goal and one assist, having only made two senior appearances previously.

This led manager Frederic Antonetti to suggest that the youngster was "exploding", and Premier League sides are certainly taking an interest, with Football Insider claiming that Newcastle United, Leicester City, Southampton and Nottingham Forest are all plotting moves for him this summer.

They also claim that the midfielder would be available for around £18m, which could prove to be a bargain if he lives up to his potential.

Lage's midfield lacked athleticism at times last season, as while Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves are both undoubtedly great passers of the ball, they don't possess the ability to play as box-to-box midfielders.

Therefore, Traore could definitely compliment Neves in Wolves' midfield for years to come, if the Old Gold are able to keep hold of him this summer, with signs suggesting that he is now more likely to stay at Molineux than leave.

Traore scored in the 99th percentile for pressures per 90 last season, averaging an impressive 29.25 per game, whereas Moutinho and Neves scored in the 50th and 48th percentiles respectively, so it is clear what the Metz man would add to Lage's side.

The 20-year-old's dynamism would allow Neves to conserve his energy more and focus on dictating the play and playing higher up the pitch, as he managed just four goals and two assists in the top flight last season.

While Traore is a man-in-demand, Wolves have clearly been interested in him for a while, and he could be an excellent addition if Lage can bring him to Molineux this summer.

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