The Telegraph have reported that Nottingham Forest have opened talks to sign Fulham winger Adama Traore in a bid to replace the outgoing Anthony Elanga, who has joined Newcastle. But what would this transfer mean for both clubs?
Adam Traore at Fulham
Although the Spaniard’s productivity has increased since he returned to the Premier League after signing for Fulham on a free transfer, in a similar manner to his spells at previous clubs, Fulham have been left wanting more of the player.
This is best represented by Fulham’s most recent visit to the Etihad – a trip that should have seen the Whites return with a point or more added to their league tally.
Fulham had numerous chances. However, they lost that match 3-2, and Adama Traore was the culprit for multiple missed opportunities.
A particular highlight from that match, which many have noted, is the ease with which Traore was able to outpace Kyle Walker for one of his missed chances. This suggests that Traore often possesses considerable potential with his pace and physicality, yet frequently falls short in terms of productivity.
Adama was able to score two goals and provide seven assists in the 2024/25 Premier League season, with some assists coming from inswinging crosses, an attribute that you may not expect of a winger who frequently outpaces his full-back.
He has also overperformed his expected assists in the season that has just finished, by a total of 2.47.
Therefore, Fulham have profited well from a free transfer. However, some may suggest that the sale of the player may bring further profit and be sensible for the club.
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Who the Transfer Would Work For
Should Fulham sell Adama Traore, they may acquire £10-15 million for the player, which would be a sensible fee to acquire a player potentially like Milan winger Samuel Chukwueze, who may provide more reliability and stability on the flanks, whilst retaining pace and trickery.
This indicates that, should Fulham be sensible with the sale, this move may make sense for the club.
For Adama himself, this move presents an opportunity to play European football, as well as reunite with former boss Nuno Espirito Santo, with whom he worked at Wolves. The player may therefore be attracted by the potential move, as he is already familiar with the manager and may sell himself on the international stage.
Therefore, for Nuno Espirito Santo, should he add the player to his ranks, that familiarity may provoke the best quality out of the player.
Adama Traore’s best form of his career came at Wolves under Nuno, and this move would present an opportunity to reignite that spark.
However, for Nottingham Forest, Anthony Elanga provided six goals and 11 assists last season, which is an increase on the productivity of Adama in both departments.
When analysing recent form, Adama may not be able to increase his productivity to that level, suggesting he may not be a suitable replacement for the player.
As a footballer, Adama Traore provides many with confusion as his attributes offer so much, yet he frequently fails to fulfil such potential.
This indicates why a sale for Fulham may make sense, as well as the move being sensible for the player and admirable for Nuno Espirito Santo. However, this may be a risky move for Nottingham Forest themselves.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Pro Sports Images
Recording Date: 25.05.2025