Bertrand Traoré Chelsea's secret weapon

Bertrand Traoré can play in a number of attacking positions, wide right, wide left, down the middle as a number 10 or as a lone striker. Traoré started his career at ASF Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso, before moving to Auxerre in France, he was scouted by Chelsea from the tender age of 15, but there was a lot of rumours around the move as in 2011, Traore still was yet to sign for Chelsea which made Chelsea release a statement in January 2012, that Bertrand Traoré had never  been a Chelsea player but had appeared for the youth team in a friendly in a 6 week trial early on in the 2012 season, however 17^th July 2013 Bertrand Traoré made his debut as against the Singha all stars.

Later that year, it was finally official, Traoré had signed a 4 and a half year deal in October 2013 and in December he signed a contract with the first team, the transfer was official in January 2014, Traoré couldn’t stay at Chelsea due to the fact he was rejected a work permit and was loaned to Chelsea’s feeder club in Holland Vitesse Arnhem. In the second half of the 13-14 season, Traoré made 15 appearances, scoring 3 goals. In July 2014 Chelsea confirmed that Traoré would stay for the 14-15 season, during Traoré’s first loan spell in Holland he played mainly as a right winger but around December, he was moved further forward playing as a lone forward which was where he flourished, against FC Groningen, Traoré netted the equalizer and in the following games he scored a brace against Ajax in the KNVB Cup then again a brace 3 days later against Heracles in a 3-0 drumming. Traoré ended the season playing 36 times and scoring on 17 occasions, which meant that Traoré was Vitesse Arhem’s top goal scorer.

At the beginning of the 15-16 season Traoré was granted a work permit and given the all clear to represent Chelsea, Traoré has been given the number 14 shirt for the upcoming season.

On the international stage, Traoré won the African U17 Championship scoring 3 goals on route to be crowned champions, where they defeated Rwanda in the final meaning, it was Burkina Faso’s first title across all levels from U17’s to the full senior side. In September Traoré made his full international debut at 15!!! Yes 15 in a friendly against Equatorial Guinea, Traoré also represented Burkina Faso in the 2012 edition of the African Cup of Nations, where he became the youngest player to do so, coming off the bench in 2-1 defeat to Sudan which eliminated Burkina Faso at the group stage. Traoré scored his first goal, in 2013 for the Stallions in at 2-1 against Morocco in a friendly, in this year’s African Cup of Nations, Traoré started the first 2 matches before exiting in the same manner as in 2012 edition, in the group phase.

All in all Chelsea have a real talent on their hands, at 15 a full international, lightning fast an eye for goal and can play anywhere in an attacking position, there’s a reason why Jose has let Salah move to A.S Roma for €22 million and that reason is this man right here, Bertrand Traoré and he could well be a secret weapon for Chelsea on their quest for another Premier League title and a Champions League.

Watch Bertrand Traoré and see what all the fuss is about!!! 

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