Why Bournemouth should go all out for Bertrand Traore in January

According to Sky Sports, Bournemouth have been credited with an interest in Lyon winger Bertrand Traore, who previously played in the Premier League for Chelsea. 

The Cherries are in talks with Borussia Dortmund to sign Danish winger Jacob Bruun Larsen but they have also lined up Traore as a potential option before the January deadline. (h/t Sky Sports)

Traore has registered 3 goals and 4 assists in 24 appearances for Lyon across all competitions so far this season but has found his involvement in the playing XI somewhat limited due to the success of his teammates Moussa Dembele and Memphis Depay. 

The Burkinabe international started his footballing education at Auxerre in France before moving on to join Chelsea at the youth level back in the summer of 2013. Traore was subsequently farmed out on loan to Vitesse Arnhem in the Dutch Eredivisie for the next couple of seasons where he scored 20 times in 51 appearances.

The 24-year-old eventually made his professional debut for Chelsea during the 2015-16 campaign and went on to score 4 times in 16 appearances across all competitions for the Blues. However, he struggled to nail down a regular starting role and subsequently joined Ajax on loan for the 2016-17 season.

Traore’s loan spell at Ajax was marked by raging success, as the winger scored 13 goals in 38 appearances across all competitions and also earned a place in the 2016-17 UEFA Europa League Team of the Season, with the Dutch giants losing 2-0 to Man United in the final.

The 50-cap Burkina Faso international subsequently departed Stamford Bridge on a permanent deal to join Lyon in the summer of 2017, registering an impressive 32 goals and 16 assists in 115 appearances for the French outfit in all competitions. 

Meanwhile, Bournemouth breathed some life into their tottering Premier League campaign with an impressive 3-1 victory over Brighton on Tuesday night. Callum Wilson got his name on the scoresheet for the first time since September as the England international broke his 15-game goal drought in the league. 

Liverpool loanee Harry Wilson scored his 7th goal of the season in the Premier League and was instrumental with his excellent all-round game as the Cherries registered only their second win in the last ten league fixtures.

Despite that, the threat of relegation continues to loom large at the Vitality Stadium, with Bournemouth still languishing at 18th place in the standings.

Having scored just 23 times in 24 games so far, it is a no-brainer that Howe needs to add more goals to his forward line heading into the crucial second half of the season.

David Brooks, who was so influential last season, hasn’t kicked a ball due to a long-term injury so far this term. Other key players like Junior Stanislas and Joshua King have also been on the treatment table for large quarters of the ongoing campaign. 

Ryan Fraser, who finished as one of the top assist-providers in the Premier League last term, has looked like a shadow of his former self so far, with other squad players like Jordon Ibe and Dominic Solanke also failing to deliver the goods. 

Arnaut Danjuma Groeneveld came through the door in the summer as an exciting player with potential but the Dutchman has barely featured due to his injury-stricken start to life on the south coast of England. 

Verdict

Suffice to say, Bournemouth have had a torrid time with injuries this season and Bertrand Traore, who has carved out a big reputation for himself since his departure from Chelsea, would be a handsome addition to the injury-ravaged squad.

Traore only played a handful of games in the Premier League earlier in his career but he isn’t a complete stranger to the kind of football prevalent in England. All in all, Bertrand Traore looks capable of turning the tables for Bournemouth and this move could well be worth the gamble.