The time has come for Bertrand Traore to finally call himself a proper Chelsea FC player. After seemingly years worth of delays, Traore has now been awarded permission to legally work in the United Kingdom, and is set to join the Blues on their pre-season tour.
More from The Pride of London
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea player ratings: Abysmal, reckless, wasteful
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea: 3 Blues talking points
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 1 Blue Mauricio Pochettino should drop
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start
- Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Palmer starts in 4-2-3-1
Traore officially signed his Chelsea contract way back in October 2013, having trialled with the club as part of their Asia tour during the preceding summer. Although he was a product of French club Auxerre’s academy, there was an odd period where Traore was seemingly in and out of Chelsea’s youth ranks without actually being part of it.
The attacking midfielder had just turned 18 years old when he put pen to paper on his four and a half year deal, but almost immediately the Blues realised the issue. While it was perfectly legal for them to sign him, he could not work in the United Kingdom due to not meeting requirements regarding the amount of international minutes he had under his belt.
This, taken from The Independent, best explains the situation:
‘The regulations stated that to qualify, a player must represent a country that is in the top 70 of the world rankings and participate in more than 75 per cent of their competitive fixtures over the previous two years.’
Traore had in fact made his debut for country, Burkina Faso, at the age of 15, and has now met this stipulation. With this, Jose Mourinho is believed to be keen to add him straight to the senior squad for the upcoming season.
More from Chelsea FC News
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 1 Blue Mauricio Pochettino should drop
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start
- Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Palmer starts in 4-2-3-1
- Chelsea sporting directors finally reveal why they sign so many young players
- These 3 new signings may never get a game at Chelsea
In the meantime, instead of wasting around in West London, Traore has been on loan at Vitesse since January 2014. The requirements in Holland are evidently different and the youngster has taken advantage of the opportunity, appearing in all but one of last season’s league games. He hasn’t failed to impress either, contributing 14 goals and five assists to Vitesse’s efforts.
However, he is now set to travel to the United States with the Blues on their pre-season tour. There he’ll get a chance to audition in front of the boss in an attempt to receive a place in Mourinho’s senior squad for the 2015/16 campaign. With the reigning Premier League champs going for the jugular next time around, this could be quite a way to kick-start your career in the big leagues.
Until then Chelsea fans wait with baited breath, eager to see the supposed wonder-kid in proper action for the Blues for what will be the first time in a while.
At least that’s what I think…am I right? Are you guys excited to see the youngster linking up with the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa? Sound off in the comments below!
Next: Chelsea FC's Copa America Round-Up: All 3 Blues Progress