Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in signing Abde Ezzalzouli and the Barcelona winger could be a big upgrade on Adama Traore in Julen Lopetegui’s side.
According to Spanish news outlet Sport, the Old Gold are keen on signing the Morocco international after his impressive performances out on loan with Osasuna this season.
The report claims that Barcelona have also been following his progress closely and plan on giving him a first-team number and a full pre-season ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, which suggests that Wolves may struggle to do a deal before next week’s transfer deadline.
However, he could be a realistic option in the summer if the Catalan outfit decide against keeping him, and his displays so far this term suggest that he could be a better option for Lopetegui than Traore, who has struggled with his end product throughout his spell at Molineux.
In 177 appearances for the Old Gold, the Spanish winger has managed just 13 goals and 18 assists, with his 12 assists in the 2019/20 campaign something which he has been unable to replicate in the seasons since.
At that time, reports suggested that Wolves could demand around £70m for the powerful wide man but now it seems almost certain that he will depart the club on a free transfer when his contract expires in the summer.
Therefore, Lopetegui could need another winger in his squad to replace him, and while Ezzalzouli might lack the pace and power of Traore, his end product and quality looks to be far better.
This season has seen the 21-year-old limited to just 12 LaLiga appearances for Osasuna, in which he has contributed two assists. However, upon breaking into Barcelona’s first team last season, he really showed what he could do, grabbing one goal in 10 appearances and averaging a strong 6.94 rating from WhoScored for his performances.
The young Moroccan would also average 1.6 shots, 0.6 key passes and 3.4 dribbles per game for Barcelona in La Liga, compared to Traore’s 0.6 shots, 0.6 key passes and one dribble per game in the Premier League this season.
Barcelona boss Xavi was full of praise for Ezzalzouli, Nico Gonzalez and Gavi for their displays in the first team last season.
He said:
“Abde, Gavi and Nico are extraordinary. They are supporting the team in difficult times. The effort is extraordinary. Young people make the difference and that is difficult to digest. It is positive and negative because they will not always perform excellently because they are young. The Abde’s match is spectacular, and Nico and Gavi’s too.”
If Ezzalzouli could replicate his Barcelona performances with Wolves and live up to his potential under Lopetegui, there seems little doubt that he could be a far better option for the Spanish manager than Traore in the future.
