Ashley Preece has revealed the current status of out-of-favour Aston Villa winger Bertrand Traore.
Traore didn’t feature yet again for Aston Villa in their last friendly, this time against Rennes, as the Midlands club battled to a 2-1 victory, nor against Fulham in a behind-closed-doors clash.
Speaking on the Claret & Blue Podcast, Preece revealed the damning truth of Traore’s current status at Villa Park, saying: “I’ve been told by someone who knows him well [that] he’s not required now; he’s been told to train with the reserve team. He didn’t play yesterday [Friday] either against Fulham, and deemed surplus to requirements, as I understand it.”
Last season, the winger made just 10 appearances in all competitions as he struggled to make a lasting impression on Steven Gerrard. He would have hoped to receive a chance in pre-season to prove himself, but with more competition for places than ever, he has once again been forced to watch on.
As of right now, Traore has Leon Bailey, Philippe Coutinho and Emiliano Buendia to compete with when it comes to either wing, making game time understandably hard to come by. With just a month left until the transfer deadline, he must go elsewhere if he wants minutes.
TIF Thoughts on Bertrand Traore…
Things haven’t quite worked out for Traore at Villa since Gerrard’s arrival. Under Dean Smith in the 2020/21 campaign, he impressed at times, scoring eight goals and assisting a further seven in all competitions.
But the fact is that the quality expected at Aston Villa has gone up, as shown by their transfer business. They have managed to attract Barcelona players such as Coutinho, whilst also welcoming Buendia – once a reported target of Arsenal.
Ahead of the forthcoming campaign, it looks as though Traore will be amongst those forced to watch on at Aston Villa once more.