Aston Villa are closing in on the signature of Lyon winger Bertrand Traore. Traore has past experience of playing in the Premier League as he was previously a part of the Chelsea set-up, coming through the ranks to play 16 games for the Blues’ senior team.
As per Sky Sports, Villa will complete the signing of Bertrand Traore for a fee of around £17 million. The Villans have already signed striker Ollie Watkins from Brentford, right-back Matty Cash from Nottingham Forest, and are also set to complete the signing of Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez.
Bertrand Traore had a good spell with Lyon, racking up 33 goals and 17 assists in 126 appearances in all competitions.
Bertrand Traore: Excellent move if Villa can seal the deal?
Bertrand Traore is an exciting winger who primarily plays on the right-hand side but is also comfortable enough on the left flank. The 25-year-old is a left-footed winger who is a skilful player showing eagerness to drive at defences and move into central areas. The Burkina Faso international loves to take on defenders with his exciting dribbling, using his bag of tricks to get past opposition players.
The lanky winger is strong and powerful and can brush past challenges to put in crosses or take a shot on goal. The former Chelsea man will be an exciting player for the Villans, who sometimes lacked the X-factor out wide in the 2019-20 season. The likes of Jack Grealish and John McGinn did not have players to pick out wide, as the wide players were inconsistent and did not always make the right movements.
Anwar El Ghazi and Trezeguet played on the right side, while Jota was also tried in that position for a few games. El Ghazi and Trezeguet were effective at times but lacked consistency. Traore could give the Villans more flair going forward, and could also be a goal threat.
With a better forward in Ollie Watkins this season, the Villa creative players have to put in better crosses and passes into the box, which Traore could very well do. His previous Premier League experience will help him adapt quickly to the team too.
Overall this is a signing which bodes well for Villa’s prospects in the league and one that will help them better their chances of having a more fruitful season.