Middlesbrough made hefty profit on electric Aston Villa winger | OneFootball

Adama Traore's explosive rise began at Middlesbrough, where his raw pace and power were first truly unleashed under Tony Pulis.

Arriving from Aston Villa in the summer of 2016 following their promotion to the Premier League, Adama Traore exploded at Middlesbrough, with the club earning a hefty profit on the wideman.

Traore signed for the Teesiders in 2016 for a reported £7 million fee. And while he had a slow start to life in the North East, he went on to become a key man under Tony Pulis as Boro looked for an immediate bounce back to the Premier League in the 2017/18 season.

With Boro losing out to Villa at the play-off semi-final stage, Championship winners Wolves brought in Traore for a reported £18 million as they prepared for life in the Premier League under Nuno Espírito Santo in a move that worked out for all parties, with Middlesbrough making £11 million in profit on the Spaniard.

Adama Traore exploded under Tony Pulis one year after Aston Villa, Middlesbrough deal

After registering just one assist in 27 Premier League appearances across the 2016/17 season, Traore simply exploded in the Championship in red and white.

From January onwards, he became a talismanic figure under Tony Pulis, being the main man on the right-hand side. To say that everything positive for Boro went through Traore would be an understatement.

He scored five goals and registered 12 assists in all competitions, and was exceptional for Pulis' men as they claimed a play-off place. And while his talent could have produced higher numbers, with his decision-making letting him down at times, there was no other winger in English football who could compare to Traore regarding athletic talent.

Picking up the Player's Player of the Year, Supporters Player of the Year, and Young Player of the Year awards, Traore became the main man at the Riverside.

With Wolves chasing their promotion dream, one performance that particularly stood out came against them, when he terrorised the champions-elect in an eventual 2-1 loss that placed Nuno's side on the brink of promotion.

It was a fitting audition, as Wolves would later make him a marquee signing. Following promotion, the Midlands club went on to activate the £18 million release clause.

Adama Traore went on to become a star at Wolves following Middlesbrough exit

After a slow start at the club, gradually but steadily, Traore began to adapt to his surroundings in the West Midlands, eventually emerging as a standout performer during the 2019/20 season.

He delivered a remarkable campaign, registering seventeen direct goal contributions across all competitions, including the Europa League.

His explosive speed and unmatched physicality overwhelmed some of the Premier League’s most respected full-backs, drawing widespread attention from top clubs across Europe.

It was a clear demonstration of his evolution into a top-tier talent, reminiscent of the promise he had previously shown during his time in the North East. Much like Pulis, Nuno had managed to unlock the best out of Traore.

For Middlesbrough, that season brought both a sense of affirmation and a wave of familiarity. Seeing a player they had carefully developed rise to prominence at the highest level would have been a source of genuine pride. It served as a powerful reminder of the talent they had helped shape and the potential they had once worked so diligently to unlock.

Traore had a loan spell with boyhood club Barcelona in the second half of the 2021/22 campaign before returning to Wolves. Following the expiration of his contract in the summer of 2023, he joined fellow Premier League side Fulham.

And while he has not hit the heights of the sensational 19/20 term, he is a more than reliable top-flight asset, and someone who potentially carries the tag of the most unique player in the division.

When the numbers aren't hit, Traore has a magnificent impact on matches with his ability to shift momentum. There is simply no one like him when it comes to possessing the ability to turn a game on its head in a matter of seconds.

However, it was Tony Pulis and Middlesbrough who were able to begin polishing the game of Traore, fully playing to his strengths, and platforming him for a Premier League move, while Boro themselves reaped the rewards of an £18 million deal in the summer of 2018.