Who is Bertrand Traore? Strengths and weaknesses of new Aston Villa signing
After a slow start to their transfer dealings, Aston Villa are ramping up their activity in recent times and have completed their fourth signing of the window in the form of Lyon forward Bertrand Traore.
While his isn't a name that will be unknown to Premier League fans, and particularly those of Chelsea having played for the Blues between 2013 and 2017, the 25-year-old only made ten league appearances. Successful loan spells with Vitesse and Ajax in the Eredivisie were enough to convince Lyon to sign the 25-year-old in 2017, but what has come of the Burkina Faso international during his time in Ligue 1?
Well, in truth, Traore has struggled to live up to a strong debut season over each of the previous two campaigns in France, seeing his playing time diminish year-on-year with OL. That would certainly explain why the club are turning a relatively modest profit on the forward, but a reported fee in the region of £16m is far from inconsiderable.
Had that price been agreed off the back of an impressive 2017/18 campaign, yielding 13 goals and four assists in 31 league appearances, Villa fans would no doubt have been very encouraged. However, having scored a modest seven league goals last season from 24 starts and ten sub appearances, Traore struck just once in Ligue 1 in 2019/20.
It should be said that the former Blue started jut 14 of 23 league games in a curtailed campaign, and registered three assists, but there is reason for caution from the Villa fans in terms of the 25-year-old's finishing. At a respectable if unspectacular 16.3 per cent in his debut season in France, his conversion rate fell to just 10.6 per cent the season after and a worrying 2.8 per cent last term.
You can attribute at least some of the blame for such a drop to the fact that Traore has played from wide on the right more often than not as time has gone on, but that certainly looks likely at Villa too following the club record signing of Ollie Watkins.
His game isn't all about goals as a result, and Traore offers a direct threat with his pace and dribbling in off the right flank, with Dean Smith looking likely to deploy such a system next season. Nevertheless, there is still a sense that the ex-Lyon star is better off leading the line, with nine of his 21 Ligue 1 goals coming from just 13 starts as a centre-forward.
That said, when Traore did get the nod from the right flank last season, his WhoScored.com rating was impressive, at 7.42 - up from 6.95 when factoring substitute appearances. Despite his lack of goals, Traore's conversion rate is evidence that he didn't lack confidence, averaging 2.4 shots per 90 when starting on the right wing. Moreover, figures of 1.8 key passes and 2.5 dribbles per 90 from said outings were also solid returns.
His work rate was exceptional too, averaging 1.9 tackles per 90 when starting, along with 1.5 interceptions, so Villa fans should be at least to a degree willing to overlook the obvious curtailment of his composure in front of goal of late.
After all, the squad is lacking quality on that right flank and Traore's ability to start as a central striker all but nullifies the need for further reinforcements in that regard, killing two birds with one stone. With goals in each of the last two Champions League campaigns, including a further eight in the Europa League during his career, Traore has European pedigree not other player in the squad can match and should prove another valuable addition to an increasingly exciting attack.
