Hamed Junior Traorè has joined Bournemouth from Sassuolo for €30m so here’s what the 22-year-old learned in Italy and how he developed in Serie A.
The talented and versatile midfielder has joined the Premier League side on a permanent transfer after Nicolò Zaniolo’s snub.
Traoré played for Empoli and Sassuolo, scoring 18 goals in 140 appearances in Serie A. He made his debut in Italy’s top flight with the Tuscans in 2018-19 under Aurelio Andreazzoli scoring two goals in 32 league matches.
It was enough to justify a €16m move to Sassuolo in 2019 even if the Neroverdi initially signed him on loan with an option to buy, making his move permanent two years later.
He played for two seasons under current Brighton coach Roberto De Zerbi and has covered many roles during his time with the Italian tactician, playing in the middle of the park in a three-man midfield, left or right winger and even attacking midfielder.
Strong with both feet, Traorè has excellent technical skills, but his physicality is not great, which is why he could initially struggle in the Premier League. However, he is a really smart midfielder who plays well between the lines and reads the game well, which is why he’s been deployed in so many different positions during his stay in Serie A.
Despite his development under De Zerbi, his best season was probably the last one with Alessio Dionisi in charge of Sassuolo, when Traorè scored seven goals and provided four assists in 31 Serie A matches.
A metatarsal fracture sustained last summer forced him out of action for the first part of the current season. Therefore he only grabbed three assists in 11 appearances with Sassuolo before his move to England.