In a recent report, The Birmingham Mail claimed that Aston Villa winger Bertrand Traore has been banished from Steven Gerrard’s first team recently. It has been revealed that the Burkina Faso wide player has been told to train with the West Midlands club’s Under-23 side by Gerrard.
Traore’s Unimpressive Season In English Football
Traore played a bit-part role at Villa Park last season and missed a lot of games due to injury. The 26-year-old played in just ten matches for the Villans in the previous campaign but failed to score or create a goal for them.
The Burkina Faso often found himself on Gerrard’s bench but did well to average 0.9 shots and 1.1 dribbles per game in Premier League football. He even distributed possession relatively well in the opponent’s half, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 76.9% in the top tier of English football (stats via whoscored).
Is Traore’s Time At Aston Villa Coming To An End?
Traore can use his pace to make a few promising runs with the ball out on the wide areas. He can strike the ball with power from long range and can play as a right-winger or as a centre-forward if needed. However, injuries have disrupted his progress at Villa Park recently.
The Burkina Faso international finds himself on the fringes of Steven Gerrard‘s squad at the moment. Therefore, it is no surprise that the Villans have decided to tell him to train with the Under-23 side as they look to phase him out of their squad.
At 26, Traore is currently entering his prime, so it makes sense for Aston Villa to look for a new buyer despite his contract running out in the summer of 2024. The talented winger is in dire need of more playing time, so he should be desperate to opt for a change of scenery this summer in search of greener pastures.
All signs point towards Traore’s time coming to an end at the West Midlands club. It’s now a question of when and not if he will leave the club in the hopes of a more fruitful spell elsewhere.
