According to a recent report by the Daily Mail, Liverpool had sent scouts to catch Bertrand Traoré in action for Olympique Lyonnais in their 2-2 draw against LOSC Lille and a 3-0 win over Olympique de Marseille earlier this month.
Even though he didn’t find the back of the net on either of those games, the former Chelsea striker has enjoyed a solid campaign in the Ligue 1 this term after scoring 11 goals while grabbing four assists in 47 matches for Lyon across all competitions.
Traore’s Rise To Prominence At Lyon
Traore came through the youth ranks of AJ Auxerre before joining Chelsea as a young player at the start of 2014. However, he failed to prove his worth at Stamford Bridge even after having two loans spells at Vitesse and AFC Ajax respectively. Thus, the Pensioners decided to sell him in the summer of 2017 when he joined the Lyon Olympic Stadium in search of regular first-team opportunities.
The Burkina Faso international has made a name for himself in the Ligue 1 after registering 29 goals while creating 11 assists in a total of 90 appearances for Lyon thus far. Traore is not the most prolific of wingers, but he is vastly experienced in European football and is versatile enough to play across multiple positions across the frontline.
What Will Traore Bring To Merseyside?
Traore boasts blistering pace which enables him to dribble with the ball at high speed in the opposition half. He is always willing to run the channels, which makes him a great outlet on the counter. However, the Lyon attacker needs to work on his link-up play as he can sometimes give away the ball cheaply in the attacking third of the pitch. Furthermore, the 23-year-old also needs to add more goals and assists to his game if he wants to succeed in the Premier League someday.
Is Traore The Right Choice For Klopp?
The addition of Traore will undoubtedly bolster Jurgen Klopp’s attacking options at Anfield. He will add some much-needed depth to the Liverpool frontline, but the fact remains that he has not proven himself at the highest level to merit a regular starting berth at the Merseyside club next season.
Liverpool would be better of opting for a more potent winger this summer so that Klopp can increase competition for the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah in the upcoming campaign.
