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Another year, another loan; or at least that's what the media is suggesting. Just days after Adama Traore was confirmed in the FC Barcelona B squad for the upcoming season, rumours have emerged linking the young starlet with a move to the English Premier League. Fear not though Culés; this isn't going to be the next youngster Arsene Wenger poaches from La Masia, nor has Andoni Zubizarreta lost his mind.
Instead, in a rare moment of clarity, the club are reportedly keen on the idea of loaning Adama Traore to England, with Everton the rumoured front-runners in the race to secure his signature.
A loan move does make a lot of sense for both the player and the club. Adama would benefit from match experience at a higher level than the Segunda, yet the Blaugrana cannot provide this at present. A loan move within La Liga is a possibility, but the opportunity to experience a different footballing culture; that's something else entirely.
The jury is still out as to whether last season's loan move to Everton has benefitted Gerard Deulofeu; indeed, the precociously talented Deulofeu saw limited gametime in his stint at Merseyside. Would his footballing development have been better served at the Camp Nou, or elsewhere in Spain? Maybe so, maybe not; while there are similarities between Deulofeu and Adama, there are contrasts as well.
Adama for instance is stronger, more of an archetypal athlete, perfectly suited for the demands of modern English football - especially in comparison with the fleet-footed Deulofeu. With greater control, or at least promises over game time, this is a move that I could really get behind. As we draw ever closer to the start of preseason, this could certainly be a story worth following.
