Arsenal Opinion: Why Arsenal should sign Bertrand Traoré

Arsenal, under Unai Emery, have made good progress but the former Sevilla boss needs a few more transfer windows to perfect the team. The club needs a few changes here and there, with a new centre-back, right-back, left-back and even a replacement for Aaron Ramsey being the need of the hour.

While the Gunners will miss his presence, replacing him will be harder and yet, it’s something they need to do. However, Arsenal have to add another winger to their ranks. At the moment, they have only Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan at their disposal.

Danny Welbeck did play a big part in Unai Emery’s plans at the start of the season but an ankle injury towards the end of 2018 has ruled him out for the rest of the season.

To add to that, Welbeck’s contract with the club expires at the end of the season and Sky Sports has reported that there have been no talks of an extension.

This will prove to be a big problem for Arsenal next season and that’s why the club need to ensure a winger is on their list of targets. One man who should be on that list is Olympique Lyon star Bertrand Traoré.

The 23-year-old was once Chelsea’s golden boy but he struggled to make it into the first team, eventually leaving last summer. At Lyon, the Burkina Faso international has found his stride. Playing in the Ligue 1, he finished his debut season with 18 goals and creating a further 7 assists.

Things haven’t been the same this season but Traoré has still produced 11 goals in all competitions, behind only Nabil Fekir and Moussa Dembele. What should attract Arsenal is Traoré’s raw pace and directness.

That’s something the North London side have missed this season. And while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s addition has added that, the Gabon star is a striker. But 23-year-old will add that from the wide positions and more importantly, he can contribute with a few goals.

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This will prove to be a valuable skill-set but the Burkina Faso international has his fair share of weakness.

A very one-footed player, Traoré struggles when forced on to his weaker side. Despite being 5’10”, the 23-year-old is not the strongest player around.

However, everything can be fixed under the right manager. At the end of the day, it’s a move that Arsenal should make, especially if they finish in a Champions League spot.