It was a relatively quiet deadline day for Wolves, as Boubacar Traore was the only senior arrival, while Leander Dendoncker completed a move to Aston Villa.
After losing his place in the starting lineup under Bruno Lage, it was always likely that Dendoncker would depart and Traore could be an excellent replacement for the Belgium international at Molineux.
The 21-year-old arrives from Metz on a year-long loan deal, with Wolves having the option to buy him for just £9.5m, which represents a perfect deal for Lage, as there is very little risk involved should he fail to adapt to Premier League football, while the future fee could also prove to be a bargain if he is a big success.
Although Wolves’ midfield three looks likely to be Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes for most of the season, Traore could be an excellent option for Lage if required.
The young midfielder enjoyed a breakthrough season with Metz in Ligue 1 last year, making 27 appearances in the French top-flight, and he was perhaps always going to get a move away following Les Granats’ relegation to the second tier.
Was Traore Wolves’ best deal of the window?
Traore was ranked by FbRef as one of the top midfielders in Europe for pressing statistics, averaging a mammoth 28.85 pressures per 90 last season, while he also scores extremely highly in dribbling and tackling, which emphasises the energy he can add to Lage’s midfield.
The youngster, who was dubbed a “pressing and dribbling machine” by football analyst Liam Henshaw, will definitely be a more defensive-minded option at Molineux, which could be needed for seeing out games, as Wolves failed to do against Newcastle United last weekend.
Unless Wolves’ form improves they could find themselves in a relegation scrap this season and having someone with Traore’s energy and ability in the middle of the park could prove vital in picking up points.
Therefore, while selling Dendoncker for a decent fee after his drop in form might have been good business by Wolves, this try-before-you-buy deal for Traore could be their best of the transfer window.
