You might have seen the clip already, West Ham United fans. A damning clip which emerged during a frantic FA Cup third round Saturday, and will have few at the London Stadium ruing a purported transfer collapse.
One of Nuno Espirito Santo’s leading January targets ambled infield and almost seemed to trip over the ball when attempting a pass. He regained his balance and, immediately afterwards, appeared to forget which shirt he was wearing as he rolled it aimlessly into the path of an opposition player.
Then, to cap it all off, Adama Traore committed the most needless of fouls in his attempts to make amends.
‘Adama Traore summed up in one passage of play’, a bemused Fulham reporter wrote on X.
Adama Traore has a dismal minutes-to-goal record in the Premier League 😲
West Ham are sleepwalking towards relegation with this transfer…
Credit: Getty Images. Stats as on 01/01/26
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Only a fortnight ago, Traore appeared destined to become a West Ham player. Spanish publication Diario AS claimed that the former Spain international – Traore blossomed under Nuno at Wolves – was set to sign renew with his old boss on initial short-term deal, with a two-year extension also on the cards.
Now though, a winger many expected to become West Ham United’s first signing of 2026 might not be joining at all. The phrase ‘dodged a bullet’ came to mind on an afternoon when Traore was hauled off to jeers less than an hour into an FA Cup clash with former employers Middlesbrough.
Adama Traore in Fulham FA Cup nightmare as West Ham United transfer stalls
Traore would be replaced by the in-form Harry Wilson on 57 minutes.
The contrast between the former and the latter would be summed up mere moments later. Wilson, thundering towards ‘streets won’t forget’, Premier League ‘vibesman’ territory, cancelled out Hayden Hackney’s opener on the hour.
Wilson would then provide a quite glorious assist for Kevin’s stoppage-time decider.
Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
As far as Cottagers fan site Fulhamish are concerned, Traore might now have to wait quite a while for his next chance in Silva’s starting XI.
“Player number one who did himself no favours today. I don’t support pile-ons, abuse, booing etc. but Jesus wept…” read a brutal Fulhamish review, Traore handed a rating of just 3/10.
“He actually did some good work a couple of times, getting past his man and putting decent crosses into the box. Outside of this, it was infuriating to watch. He slowed down nearly every attack that he was involved in, seemingly forgetting that he was allowed to pass the ball, choosing instead to hog it as much as possible.
“He managed to get worse in the second half, misplacing simple passes before being jeered off [I don’t like it when we do this, he’s still a Fulham player] by the home fans. I actually feel bad for him.
“I simply think a new pasture for Adama would benefit all parties, because it isn’t working anymore.”
How many of this team would get into the current side?!
Our Championship play-off winners of 2011/12 😍
Credit: GRV Media
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West Ham and London rivals at odds over £7 million transfer fee
If a new start under an old manager is to present itself before the close of the winter window, though, the player himself may have to take matters into his own hands.
Traore earns £120,000-a-week at Fulham. In addition to this, club insider Sean Whetstone then claimed that West Ham had been quoted £7 million for a winger whose contract is due to expire in July. That is double the amount the Hammers had been prepared to pay as talks were held back in December.
“Adama, I don’t think he’s going to get sold at this stage unless West Ham pay the £7 million that Fulham want,” Fulham reporter Jack Kelly said earlier in the week.
“West Ham might say, ‘we’re not going to pay £7 million’.
“Well, we’re not going to sell a squad player to a direct rival in the Premier League for pennies. Either pay the money or don’t. That’s basically the situation that we’re in. So I don’t think Adama is going to go anywhere soon, which is fine.”
On yesterday’s evidence, what is ‘fine’ for Fulham should also be ‘fine’ for the Hammers, regardless of how highly Nuno may rate his former favourite.
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