Hamed Traoré is primed to be the second Napoli addition in January after Pasquale Mazzocchi. Only the signature is missing before the announcement. He flew to Italy for the medical tests on Tuesday. He’ll join from Bournemouth on a season-long loan with a €25M option to buy, La Repubblica informs. The Azzurri will pay an initial €1.5M fee.
The versatile midfielder returns to Italy after a year in the Premier League. He has appeared just 13 times with the Cherries, scoring once, due to a few foot injuries and a recent illness. He has ten caps and two goals with the Ivory Coast, but he obviously hasn’t been called up for the ongoing AFCON.
The exams were more in-depth than usual, as Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis requested, because Hamed Traoré is coming off a bout with malaria. The club wished to be sure there weren’t any lingering effects. An infectious disease expert was present. The player aims to be available against Lazio after the Supercoppa.
The 23-year-old debuted in Serie A with Empoli and blossomed with Sassuolo. He recorded seven goals and four assists in his best campaign in 2021/2022.
Our Take on Napoli and Hamed Traoré
It’s a no-brainer given the conditions and his proven track record, even though his recent injury history is worrying. He never developed into a box-to-box with the Neroverdi, but that was true also for Elijf Elmas, and he’s a little more physical, and they still used him there. He’s at his best in less constraining roles.
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