Bertrand Traore transfer: What does Chelsea expect from their youth?

Chelsea sold Bertrand Traore to Lyon, ending his run at the club at seven years and 14 appearances. Traore’s departure raises the question for Chelsea’s other young players: What more must they do?

Bertrand Traore is a Europa League finalist, a full international, averages one goal every three senior appearances and has played in the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League and Eredivisie. And yet despite all that, he did not warrant a pre-season trial at Chelsea. Not even with Dominic Solanke’s departure and Diego Costa’s impending transfer.

At his transfer announcement with Lyon, Traore said he “set a goal to seek stability and, by signing a contract at with OL, can not ask for better.” Stability for a young player is not just about knowing where he will play season to season. Stability also includes knowing the team’s expectations and their measures of success. It means that Traore will know what he needs to do to earn playing time, a spot in the starting XI, increased wages and – in a few years –  a contract extension.

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Traore, like every other Chelsea loanee, never knew such stability as a Blue. As far as he was concerned, he probably thought he did everything necessary to at least have a shot at the first team.

Traore had three highly successful loan seasons in Chelsea’s preferred “feeder league.” He scored clutch goals in the Europa League semi-finals, followed by the full 90 minutes of the final. He had a range of experience in domestic cup and league.

Chelsea’s other young prospects – on the bench, in the loan system and in the academy – must have a grim outlook right now. If Bertrand Traore does not warrant a look in, who does?

Michy Batshuayi scored the title-clinching goal and finished with five league goals. Tammy Abraham single-handedly kept Bristol City in the Championship and set scoring records in the second tier. Lewis Baker won Vitesse’s first KNVB Cup and regularly scored highlight-worthy goals.

But, again, if Traore did not even make it to August with the team, why should those players or any other believe they will? And for those making their way up, what must they do – what more could Traore, Batshuayi, Abraham, Baker or the rest have done – to earn a place in pre-season?

There should be no guarantees. One of Antonio Conte’s great culture shifts at Chelsea was doing away with undroppable players. Everybody earned their place in the starting XI, from loan army veteran Victor Moses to Champions League- and World Cup-winner Cesc Fabregas.

But players must know what they are working for, why they are working for it and what to expect. Constantly shifting standards creates the aura of capriciousness. That has the same effect on club morale as anything Jose Mourinho did.

Chelsea must tell players the expectations and the probable outcomes. They can convey their standards without making any untoward, unrealistic promises.  Coaches at the academy must know what to prepare their young charges for – good, bad, ugly and Blue.

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Otherwise, more young Chelsea players will go the Dominic Solanke route than the Bertrand Traore route. That would infect the entire system, and adversely effect recruitment, morale, development and the beloved lucrative loan army itself.