If you believe every newspaper cutting you see, then Wolves could be on the verge of selling a whole host of players this summer.
In recent weeks, Rui Patricio and Nelson Semedo have both been linked with Roma while Raul Jimenez is also attracting interest from elsewhere.
What’s the word?
Another player who has plenty of admirers is Adama Traore. Unfortunately, he might be a little more difficult to keep at Molineux.
The Spaniard’s contract expires in two years time and it doesn’t look as though he’s going to pen new terms.
Wolves were growing frustrated with his situation a few months ago but in recent talks, they haven’t got anywhere with negotiations. That’s according to Duncan Castles of the Transfer Window podcast.
Providing the latest on the situation, Castles revealed: “He’s currently under contract until 2023. I’m told they have made Traore an offer, but that it is way below the sums that Traore would be expecting to receive should he leave the club, and certainly what he’d expect to receive should he stay at the club.
“He wants to be on the same tier as the best-paid players are, he’s nowhere near that at present because he came from Middlesbrough, really kind of established his status at Wolverhampton. So, I think the sense from the people around Adama Traore is that they want to be told the price at which Wolves are prepared to sell.”
Huge blow
At present, the flying winger currently earns a salary of £43k-per-week at Molineux. For context, that makes him the club’s ninth-highest earner at the current time.
In order for him to receive parity with some of the best paid at Wolves, he’d need to receive an offer of around £100k-per-week in order to convince him to stay.
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Rui Patricio and Joao Moutinho currently earn that amount and at some stage, Jeff Shi may just have to bite the bullet and go all-in on negotiations.
After all, it would be a huge blow to lose a player as talented as Traore.
Described as “unplayable” by Jurgen Klopp, the Spaniard has quickly become one of the most dangerous players in the Premier League. On his day, he can clatter you to one side and throw on the afterburners in an unrelenting fashion.
Although he’s scored just twice this term, he had a hand in 13 league strikes throughout 2019/20.
We also saw what a devastating weapon he can be when Nuno Santo introduced him to the fray against Brighton last weekend.
When Traore was substituted on with just under half an hour to go, Wolves were losing 1-0 to the Seagulls.
Yet, he made a crushing impact by scoring the equaliser in thumping fashion and creating a clear cut opportunity for Morgan Gibbs-White as they eventually won 2-1.
The Spaniard’s ability to beat players was typical, completing all three of his dribbles in a ruthless and conquering display at Molineux.
To see contract negotiations stalling, therefore, will do plenty to anger Nuno.
After seeing Diogo Jota and Matt Doherty depart last summer – 25% of their goals in 2019/20 – he won’t be keen on seeing another star player leave. They have to keep Traore in Wolverhampton.