Manchester United expressing interest in 22-year-old Ligue 1 star

Traore
Traore

According to Calciomercato, Manchester United are keen on Olympique Lyonnais forward Bertrand Traore. The 22-year-old played under United manager Jose Mourinho when the pair were at Chelsea but struggled for first-team football. He’s admitted being open to renewing acquaintances, however.

“Manchester United? Why not? I will work hard and if opportunities open, why not?” he said to Onze Mundial. Traore has been in fine form this season, scoring three goals in his last three Europa League games, while bagging two goals in his previous three Ligue 1 outings.

The Burkina Faso international, who has played for the likes of Auxerre, Vitesse and Ajax, admitted regret that he couldn’t force his way in to Mourinho’s plans at Stamford Bridge, saying: “I fought, I reached the first team.

“But, in Chelsea, for a player from the training centre, it’s almost impossible to impose yourself as a starter. And I wanted to be a starter. I’m proud of what I did there before I left.”

After scoring and creating 19 goals in all competitions for Ajax last season, Lyon signed Traore for £9m in the summer. It’s not hard to see why Manchester United would be keeping tabs on his progress, but the Red Devils are overstocked with attackers that would likely see the 22-year-old low down on the pecking order.

United have Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard as options out wide, while Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata have operated on the right flank too. Traore is valued at £7m, but the Red Devils may have to pay a considerable amount more given his form.

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