Nottingham Forest are moving closer to agreeing a deal to sign Adama Traoré from Fulham, a move that could see Nuno Espírito Santo revive an old Wolves tactic.
Nottingham Forest News revealed that talks had begun over a deal to sign Traoré, one that would reunite Nuno with a player he had tremendous success with at Wolves.
In fact, Espírito Santo is desperate to sign Traoré to utilise his incredible physical abilities, potentially as a weapon from the bench, which Forest lacked last season.
With Traoré open to the move, negotiations should be able to move forward smoothly, allowing the Forest manager to plot an alternative to his traditional system that could see the Spanish star play a crucial role next season.
Adama Traoré reacts during Fulham vs Manchester United
Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Adama Traoré could facilitate a Nottingham Forest tactic change
Traditionally a right-winger, Traoré would fit perfectly in the role that Anthony Elanga thrived in last season, providing an alternative to new Forest signing Dan Ndoye.
However, Espírito Santo is plotting a tactical refresh this season, with one of the formations discussed and trialled in pre-season involving Forest lining up with three central defenders.
This means that the full-backs are pushed into more of a wing-back role, mirroring the exact position that Traoré was trained to play by Nuno at Wolves.
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Speaking on the Wolves website in 2019, Traoré said of the role: “I’ve been working with Nuno especially about a defensive way to play like a wing-back. I’ve been working so hard with him. I will keep working with him and give my best every day.
“I think every player likes to play and like I say I’m working with him (Nuno), and I trust him, so I’ll be working 100 per cent like I was before, like I always do, and be the best I can be.”
The 29-year-old’s trust in Espírito Santo should mean that he’d be happy to fit into the wing-back role once more, a position that looks to really suit him given his defensive numbers.
Adama Traoré has the attributes to be a top wing-back
Traoré’s physicality has made him one of the most remarkable players to watch in the Premier League in recent years, possessing the pace and strength to make him near-impossible to stop.
However, these key attributes can also be exploited defensively, with his stats from last season at Fulham showing that Traoré could truly suit the wing-back role.
Statistic Adama Traoré 24/25
Tackles won % 65%
Duels won per 90 6.36
Aerial duels won per 90 1.27
Dribbled past per 90 0.41
As is imaginable, Traoré isn’t the easiest to dribble past, while his 6.36 duels won per game show that he can battle using his strength, too.
Solid in the air and with a strong tackle success rate, wing-back could be the ideal position for Traoré to make the biggest impact at Forest should Nuno choose to push on with the tactical switch.