Chelsea forward Bertrand Traore is seemingly close to leaving Stamford Bridge, with Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas confident a deal will be struck.
The 21-year-old spent last season out on loan at Ajax, and he certainly made the most of the opportunity of regular first-team football with the Dutch giants.
Having scored 14 goals in all competitions, he also helped them to the Europa League final too and so it appears as though Traore’s form last season has caught the eye of Lyon.
According to the Evening Standard, the Ligue 1 outfit are keen on signing the Burkina Faso international, and Aulas has revealed that they’re in advanced talks over a deal with Chelsea.
“We want to bring Bertrand Traore to the club,” he is quoted as saying in the report. “There are advanced talks there, but many clubs are interested.
“We absolutely want to do the deal.”
Despite Diego Costa’s expected exit from Chelsea after his breakdown with his manager, it’s still difficult to see Antonio Conte putting his faith in the younger players at the club immediately, with Tammy Abraham arguably in the same position.
The Premier League champions continue to be linked with marquee signings up front his summer, and so Traore is unlikely to get the regular minutes that he craves, especially after a season of being a pivotal figure for Ajax.
In turn, a move elsewhere would make the most sense for him and if Lyon are capable of meeting Chelsea’s demands and the French side are confident that Traore is the man to make the difference for them next season, then a deal should be struck.