FC Barcelona have managed to sign several players during this past winter transfer window. However, the signing of Adama Traoré is the one that has generated the most hype so far.
The La Masia academy product has got off to an exciting start, providing a number of attacking solutions that the Xavi Hernandez’s side had previously lacked.
For this reason, at the MBP School of Coaches, we have analyzed the player profile of Adama Traoré, highlighting the different structures that stand out in the player and uncovering what he can bring to the blaugrana team through his individual qualities.
- Player Profile
The first aspect to highlight in Spanish player, and the one which is most visible, is his conditional structure. The winger has outstanding physical qualities, not only with respect to his muscular body shape, but also in areas more relevant to the game, such as speed and explosiveness of movement, strength in duels and a high-intensity capable endurance.
Thanks to his spectacular physical capabilities, Traore is a highly dangerous player in 1vs1 situations. Once he identifies a possible situation of spatial advantage, the winger exploits it by beating his direct defender either through pure speed, or by dribbling past them prior to an explosive burst away.
The second structure to look at in the winger is his coordination one. In this case, we do not want to highlight his ability with the ball, but his coordination in performing movements without it.
Normally, players with Traore’s body type usually have difficulties when it comes to mobility. In his case, nothing could be further from the truth. The new Culé winger possesses a fantastic coordination skillset that allows his physical power to be transferred to the pitch efficiently and effectively.
If we analyze Adama’s running motion, we can see how he is capable of agilely linking the movements of all his limbs, thus gaining an advantage over his direct rivals through superior motor mechanics.
- Game Fundamentals
Diving into the more tactical aspects of the game, Traore is a consistent player in relation to the behaviors he performs on the field, almost always performing the same ones, but showing a great efficiency in them.
The first of these that he commonly applies in an effective way is the winger’s individual fundamental of ‘attacking the defender in 1v1 situations with a spatial advantage’.
In addition to possessing the fantastic conditional qualities that have already been mentioned, Traore also knows how to identify when he has space behind the defender’s back, or if there is a low level of cover near to the ball, so he can drive at the defender and beat his man.
The second aspect that has attracted the most attention to the former Wolves player since his arrival is his ability to ‘cross with an advantage for the finisher’. Although Traore has always been a wide player, he has never been known for being an excellent crosser once he has beaten the opponent.
However, since his arrival at Barcelona, the winger has shown a great consistency in his deliveries, managing to provide two assists in two games with this type of action.
If we analyze in depth the balls he puts into the box, we see that many of them are from zone B (in the box in a wide position). According to our studies, to be as effective as possible, the crosses from that area should be tense and preferably towards the far post, as Traore is doing.
Finally, we would like to mention the attacker’s ability to create space on the pitch and generate gaps in the opponent’s structures by positioning himself to give maximum width. The player, in addition to this, also applies other fundamentals in a linked and/or chained way such as ‘orienting the body sideways’, or ‘offering passing options while guaranteeing width’.
These fundamentals that Traore usually applies are vital to ensure the positional game that Xavi Hernandez seeks to impose on the Culé team, as it gives the blaugranas variability in the attacking front while maintaining the Barça style that defines the club.
Conclusion
Adama Traoré is a different player to what FC Barcelona had before his arrival. As we have been able to see during the analysis, the player from l’Hospitalet will bring to the blaugrana team a series of characteristics that will allow Xavi’s game idea to be consolidated, helping to increase the competitive level shown so far this season.
