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Bertrand Traore’s Chelsea Development Shows There’s No Need for Romelu Lukaku
- Updated: August 4, 2016
A youngster impresses, but his club delves into the transfer market to spend millions on a more experienced recruit. Sound familiar?
It should; it’s the narrative often played out at Chelsea.
Now it’s Bertrand Traore who finds himself centre stage in the soap opera.
The 20-year-old was on the scoresheet again this week, firing home Chelsea’s opening goal in the 3-1 defeat of AC Milan in the International Champions Cup. The game brought the curtain down on the Blues’ U.S. tour, where they’ve won two and lost one.
The focus hasn’t been on what’s developing on the pitch for Antonio Conte’s side; the headlines have been about players who are wearing a different shade of blue, notably Romelu Lukaku.
On the back of the Milan victory, Conte was quoted by the Evening Standard, suggesting that Chelsea are still looking to bring players into the club, with some also being sold.
“I think in the future something can happen with the transfer market, in and out,” the boss explained. “We know that in the future, different changes can happen, both in and out, with the players.”
The impression is that Conte was referring to Lukaku, for whom Chelsea are reportedly offering £67 million in a bid to bring him back to Stamford Bridge just two years after selling him to Everton for £28 million.
In the same Evening Standard report, Conte also confirmed that Diego Costa will remain a Chelsea player regardless of the transfer business the club does this summer.
“I repeat that Diego Costa is now Chelsea’s player, and for me this is the most important thing in this moment,” said Conte.
Bertrand Traore makes it 1-0! #CFC https://t.co/XxupRCxFwT
— ChelseaTalk (@TheBlues_Talk) August 4, 2016
So if Lukaku arrives, where does that leave Traore?
Firmly down the pecking order and without a hope.
Forget the fortune Chelsea are offering for Lukaku, it’s Traore’s career that must be the concern here. After an impressive six months to end 2015/16, the upcoming campaign should be about the striker becoming more established in the first team in order to continue his development.
Coming up against the £30 million Michy Batshuayi, Costa and Lukaku, that isn’t going to happen, regardless of whether or not Conte plays …
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