After a very difficult last season at Aston Villa, Bertrand Traoré changes air. The Burkinabè international striker has been loaned for a season to Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir. It was officially presented on Monday November 22.
New destination for Bertrand Traoré. After England (Chelsea, Aston Villa), the Netherlands (Vitesse Arnhem, Ajax Amsterdam) and France (Olympique Lyonnais), the striker will discover Turkish football. On Saturday August 20, the Istanbul Basaksehir club announced an agreement with Aston Villa for the loan of the player for this 2022-2023 season. As expected, the Burkinabè was presented to the press on Monday August 22.
” The choice was clear in my head, I wanted to come to Basaksehir “said the captain of the Stallions of Burkina Faso on Saturday, upon his arrival at Istanbul airport, where supporters were present to welcome him. Bertrand Traoré and Aston Villa were looking for a solution after a very complicated 2021-2022 season.
Transferred from Lyon to the Villains in the summer of 2020, the versatile striker had signed a first year of good quality under the orders of Dean Smith, coach at the time. In 38 matches in all competitions, he had found the net 8 times and delivered 7 assists.
Emmanuel Adebayor advised him
But the last exercise looked like a real ordeal. Mined by injuries, Bertrand Traoré was only able to take part in 10 matches in all competitions, for no goal scored and no assist given. Steven Gerrard, appointed coach at the end of 2021, no longer counting on him, the Burkinabe has decided to take up a new challenge.
The one who will wear No. 9 in Turkey explained that he had received several offers during the summer transfer window, but that it was indeed that of Basaksehir that caught his interest. In particular, he took advice from Emmanuel Adebayor; the Togolese had worn the colors of Istanbul Basaksehir between 2017 and 2019. ” He told me good things about this club “, confided Bertrand Traoré.
The 26-year-old striker is one of the many rookies in the squad coached by Emre Belozoglu this summer. Before him, Istanbul Basaksehir notably brought in German playmaker Mesut Özil. The club, known for its close ties with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, finished fourth in the Süper Lïg last season. Qualified for the preliminary round of the Europa League, he has already dismissed Maccabi Netanya (Israel) and Breidablik Kopavogur (Iceland). His last opponent and the Belgian club Antwerp (1-1 in Istanbul on August 18, return match in Belgium on August 25).