Burkina Faso Captain, Traore, Reunites With Ajax

Burkina Faso star, Bertrand Traore, has made a sensational return to Ajax Amsterdam as a free agent on a two-year deal.

Ajax announced that the former Lyon and Aston Villa winger has put pen to paper on a deal that will see him remain in Amsterdam till June 30, 2026.

Technical Director Alex Kroes said: “We are very happy with Bertrand’s arrival. He had multiple options, including staying in Spain, but he consciously chose Ajax. In our conversations, it was clear that he is hungry to achieve success here.

“These are the players we are looking for. Additionally, Bertrand is goal-oriented, fast, and can play in multiple forward positions. Given his experience, he is also a valuable addition to our squad.”

The Burkina Faso captain started his youth career with French side Auxerre in 2009 and later joined the Chelsea Academy in 2013, before gaining promotion to the senior team in 2014.

Traore had his first stint as a senior player in 2014 when he went on a one-and-a-half-year loan deal from Chelsea to Dutch Eredivisie side, Vitesse Arnhem, scoring 16 goals in 42 appearances.

His performance earned him a recall to Chelsea in 2015 but he was limited to playing time due to the array of stars at the disposal of ex-managers, Jose Mourinho and Guus Hiddink.

Traore, however, returned to the Netherlands on loan with Ajax in the 2016-17 season where he helped the Dutch giants reach the Europa League final with four goals en route to their 2-nil final defeat to Manchester United.

Traore last played for Spanish La Liga side, Villareal, who he joined in January on a six-month deal.