Bertrand Traore has waited patiently for his opportunity to return to Chelsea and does so with an enhanced reputation after his successful loan spell at Vitesse Arnhem.
His return could give the Portuguese manager a significant boost in the pursuit of the title this season. Instead of having to shell out for a more established name, it seems that Chelsea have a ready-made star waiting in the wings.
His performances in preseason have not been quite as eye-catching as they were two years ago when he first arrived on the scene, but they have demonstrated his impressive overall development as a player.
He was previously known mainly for his technical ability and long distance shooting, but now that he has added a sense of composure and tactical maturity to his game, Mourinho is ready to rely on him as the first line of cover for the regular starters.
Against Fiorentina, he was handed a starting berth at left back. Most players of his age would have been overawed by the prospect of making their home debut in an unfamiliar position. Not Traore.
Defensively he performed well. He got caught up-field a couple of times as you would expect from a player who primarily plays as a winger. Reassuringly though, he had the pace and awareness to recover in both instances.
The most exciting aspect of his performance was his competence on the ball. Traore is well beyond his years in terms of his ability to read the game and recognise optimal passing opportunities.
When he emerged with the ball from a number of defensive skirmishes, he didn’t simply look to offload the ball to the nearest person. He lifted his head up and surveyed the situation while travelling at pace, delivering perfectly weighted balls into players further up the field.
Traore looks set to make a positive impact this season and, due to the fact that Chelsea have a relatively small squad, he should get the chance to demonstrate his abilities on a regular basis.
Before his work permit was finally granted this summer, Traore’s manager at Vitesse Arnhem, Peter Bosz, stated that Jose Mourinho was ‘crazy’ about the youngster.
With the quality the Burkina Faso international has demonstrated so far, it’s easy to see why.
