Sunday 13 September 2015 16:41, UK
Barcelona boy Adama Traore already looks like money well spent for Aston Villa, writes Nick Wright…
Barcelona to Birmingham is not exactly a conventional career path, but for Adama Traore it is the opportunity he has been waiting for.
Aston Villa paid £7m to take the talented teenager to the Midlands last month, and he has made an immediate impression in his new surroundings having found first team chances hard to come by in Catalonia.
It took just eight minutes of his Premier League debut for Adama to show what he is capable of. Having come on as a substitute against Crystal Palace, the winger motored past Jason Puncheon and released a low cross which was diverted into his own net by defender Pape Souare. Three days later, he coolly dispatched his first goal for the club in a Capital One Cup tie against Notts County.
Adama has set pulses racing at Villa Park, and Tim Sherwood is already talking about him as a "marked man". The 19-year-old was forced off with an injury after a series of heavy challenges against the League Two side, but he is expected to be fit for Villa's Super Sunday clash against Leicester having missed their 2-2 draw with Sunderland.
Adama is an old-school winger who loves to beat his man and reach the byline. His explosive acceleration, brute strength and one-on-one ability were honed in La Masia. Adama was born to Malian parents in Barcelona's Casa de la Maternidad hospital just a stone's throw from the Camp Nou. He joined their youth ranks at the age of eight, and was nicknamed 'La Flecha' (The Arrow) as he raced through the age groups.
Andrés Carrasco was one of the coaches who oversaw his development at Barcelona. "For his speed and dribbling ability, I would compare him to Marc Overmars," he told Spanish radio network Cadena Ser in 2013. "He was always strong but he was one of the shortest in the team. His physical development was spectacular," he added.
"He combines his pace with great strength and it's very difficult to throw him to the ground," added Albert Benaiges, another of his former coaches. "He is able to use his legs and his arms to keep running. It's a great asset."
Graham Hunter also counts himself among Adama's admirers. "He has the potential to become an exceptional player," Hunter told Sky Sports. "He is the kind of player who explains why people buy season tickets and why Sky have invested in the Premier League again.
"Okay, he's not English, he's from Spain and was born in Barcelona, but he's frighteningly exciting. He runs at players and goes past them. He has the ability to do things that should be the provenance of a man of similar stature to Lionel Messi. But no, he's like a well-built middleweight boxer."
For Aston Villa, it could prove to be a real bargain. The early signs are that he is the type of player that can fit into the Premier League.
Adama featured regularly for Spain at youth level and became the ninth-youngest first team player in Barcelona's history when he came off the bench for his debut in a 4-0 win over Granada in November 2013, three months before his 18th birthday. "He is probably one of the most important players that Barcelona have in the youth ranks," said former manager Tata Martino at the time.
A Champions League debut against Ajax followed that appearance, but he returned to Barcelona B and had to wait over a year for his next first team opportunity. When the chance finally came under Martino's successor Luis Enrique in December last year, Adama could hardly have done more.
Four minutes after coming off the bench in a Copa del Rey clash against Huesca, Adama picked up the ball 40 yards from goal, burst past three despairing defenders and side-footed a low finish through the legs of the advancing goalkeeper.
The Camp Nou rose to its feet. It was a stunning goal. "He has the quality to be a first team player, without any doubt," said Luis Enrique afterwards. But then came the kicker. "But he has to wait."
In the end, the wait was too long for Adama. Not even Pedro could get a game ahead of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, and Sandro Ramirez and Munir El Haddadi were also ahead of Adama in the pecking order.
An online poll conducted by Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo in July revealed 83 per cent of Barcelona fans felt he was ready for the first team, but the B team's relegation to the third tier had only heightened his desire to move on. Two weeks later Aston Villa's offer was accepted.
"I was surprised that he was allowed to leave," Spanish football expert Terry Gibson told Sky Sports. "It wasn't such a huge sum of money that Barcelona couldn't turn down.
"He's strong, he's lightning quick and very direct. He's got a lot to learn but with the attributes he's got, you feel there was enough there for Barcelona to want to do more to keep him.
"For Aston Villa, it could prove to be a real bargain," he added. "It was worth Aston Villa finding that money and taking the chance. The early signs are that he is the type of player that can fit into the Premier League."
Sherwood has tracked Adama since his Tottenham days. "We made a huge effort to bring him to the club because I've known him for a couple of years," he said. "We showed him this is a great stage for him."
Sherwood is not a manager who shies away from blooding young players, and Barcelona's loss already looks like Villa's gain. After years in the shadows at Barcelona, Adama is ready for his time in the spotlight.
Watch Adama Traore in action for Aston Villa at Leicester City live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 3.30pm on Sunday.
