Why Newcastle United should swoop for Bertrand Traore
According to a report from FootMercato (h/t Express), Newcastle United are targeting a move for Olympique Lyon forward Bertrand Traore in the summer, if their proposed takeover goes through.
Traore, 24, came through the AJ Auxerre academy, before making the jump to the Chelsea youth setup in 2013. In January 2014, the forward joined Vitesse on an 18-month loan and excelled during his time at the club. In 2016, he returned to the Netherlands, joining Ajax on loan, where he impressed again with 13 goals and 6 assists in 39 matches.
The following summer, he joined Lyon permanently and has grown into a key player at the Ligue 1 outfit. Till date, he has made 125 appearances, scoring 33 goals and creating 17 more.
Newcastle United have had an ordinary season so far. The Magpies have struggled to get going under Steve Bruce and find themselves in mid-table mediocrity once again. Prior to the season getting suspended, Newcastle were 13th in the table, having collected 35 points from 29 matches.
However, things could be set to change at St. James’ Park as they are primed for a £300m takeover by a Saudi Arabia-backed consortium. Should that go through, the club must strengthen their attacking ranks at any cost.
Newcastle’s attacking woes this season…
Newcastle’s attack has performed extremely poor this season. The Tynesiders have scored just 25 goals in the Premier League this season, which is the joint-lowest in the competition. Lead striker Joelinton has managed just one league goal so far, while the rest of the attacking contingent has failed to fire as well.
In Christian Atsu, Allan Saint-Maximin and Matt Ritchie, Bruce has three wingers at his disposal, while Miguel Almiron has also been used in a wide role this term. But none of them has been consistent enough this season. Almiron and Saint-Maximin have contributed with two goals each, while the other two haven’t scored even once.
Hence, Newcastle should bring in a new attacking player in the coming transfer window.
The 24-year-old Bertrand Traore hasn’t been that prolific this season, bagging 4 goals and 5 assists in 34 matches all season. But last season, the former Chelsea winger banged in 11 goals and set up 5 more, while the season before that he had scored 18 goals and created 7.
Given his age and past performances, Traore would be able to bring a bigger goal threat from the flanks for Newcastle. Moreover, the 24-year-old would add extra depth in the attacking department. This would help the club better their performances in the coming seasons.
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Verdict
Newcastle United have struggled in the final third this season, with goals coming at a premium. Hence, strengthening the attack is of paramount importance for the Magpies. And Traore, in that regard, would be a handy addition for the club.
The 24-year-old has been a consistent performer for Lyon and would add more goals from the wide areas for the Magpies. He would also bolster the depth in the squad, thus increasing the options at Bruce’s disposal.
