Traore rejoins Barcelona on initial loan from Wolves

Headline dribbler Adama Traore, who graduated from Barcelona's famed La Masia in 2013 before leaving for greener pastures in England, returned to his formative club Saturday on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Barcelona, who announced that they're paying Traore's full salary, can make the signing permanent in the summer for approximately €30 million, reports insider Fabrizio Romano.

Tottenham Hotspur reportedly backed out of the race to sign Traore after Wolves rejected their initial £15-million offer. The 26-year-old appeared to have reservations about playing as a wing-back in Antonio Conte's 3-5-2 formation.

Wolves opted to move Traore after launching negotiations for a new contract more than a year ago, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein. Traore reportedly sought to become one of Wolves' top earners, but talks stalled once Nuno Espirito Santo left the club in the summer.

Traore offers Barcelona significant upside on the right side of their attack. With Ousmane Dembele set to leave the club amid his own contract standoff, Traore will compete for minutes with fellow January signing Ferran Torres.

Traore joined Aston Villa in 2015 for a reported €10 million after making just two senior appearances for the Blaugrana. The Catalan-born winger moved a year later to Middlesbrough, where manager Tony Pulis made him the focal point of his attack, urging him to take on defenders in one-on-one situations. His success there led to an £18-million transfer to Wolves in 2018.