According to Yahoo Sport France (via Sport), Everton are eyeing a move for Olympique Lyon’s Bertrand Traore this summer. The ex-Chelsea winger has been linked with a return to Premier League after impressing in his two-year stint with Lyon. The report claims that Everton manager Marco Silva is keen to sign Traore as he aims to bolster his attacking options this summer.
What can Traore add to the table?
Since arriving at Lyon back in 2017, Traore has emerged as one of the club’s key attackers over the past two years. He was involved in as many as 17 goals in his debut campaign. And he followed that up with an impressive nine goals this campaign.
One of Traore’s strongest assets is his dribbling prowess. The Burkina Faso international is always keen to take on defenders, averaging 2.7 attempted dribbles per game this season. His willingness to test the defenders often proves useful when probing the opposition.
He is a physically astute attacker and is very hard to dispossess. That means he is proficient in hold-up play, which is a useful asset for any attacker nowadays. Another key aspect of Traore’s game is his ability to test the goalkeeper. He has averaged a whopping two shots per game this season, which is quite impressive for a winger.
His biggest asset, however, is his versatility in the final third. Indeed, Traore, aside from his preferred right wing slot, can operate as an attacking midfielder and even as a number nine. This could make him a useful asset for any Premier League team given the strenuous schedule of English football.
Does Everton need someone like Traore?
Everton lack depth in the attacking department right now. Their frontline strikers weren’t exactly productive this season. As a result, the Toffees have often appeared overreliant on Richarlison in terms of productivity in the final third. In addition, star forward Cenk Tosun has already been linked with a return to Turkey. Hence, the addition of a new winger will make a world of sense for Silva. And that’s where Traore could come into the fray.
The Lyon starlet will offer more dynamism and flair in the final third. His versatility will also provide Silva with additional options as far as his tactical choices are concerned. Having already spent time in England earlier in his career, integrating to the new environment should become relatively more comfortable for Traore.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
