Chelsea FC striker Bertrand Traore has become a target for Ajax, as the Eredivisie club go looking for a replacement for their star striker Arkadiusz Milik, if reports from the Netherlands are to be believed.
The Dutch club are in search of a striker this summer, after their main striker Milik has been heavily linked with a move to Serie A side Napoli, as replacement for Gonzalo Higuain, who recently signed with Juventus for €90 million.
Traore, who has graduated from the Chelsea academy, has got experience of playing in the Eredivisie when he played the 2014/15 season on loan at Vitesse Arnhem, scoring 13 goals and providing four assists. The 20-year-old Burkina Faso international has also shown great promise while playing for Chelsea last season, which is why Ajax have made him a top target this summer, according to Dutch newspaper Telegraaf.
The 20-year-old has made only 14 appearances for Chelsea last season – most of them from the bench. Ajax would represent a great opportunity for Traore to get more games under his belt at an age where he is still developing his core skills as a striker. De Joden are said to believe that the promise of regular football will attract the Burkina Faso international to the Eredivisie.
Ajax are already said to have accepted a €35 million from Napoli for their Polish striker Milik [via Calciomercato]. In fact, Telegraaf reported earlier on Thursday, that the 22-year-old Pole has already flown to Naples, for a medical with the Partenopei.
De Joden captain Davy Klaassen confirmed this to the Dutch newspaper, saying, “The reason [for Milik’s move to Napoli] was money. But I wasn’t surprised, as I’d heard of it already after the Euro.”
However, it is not yet clear whether Chelsea want to sell (or loan out) their young striker. Antonio Conte is said to be plotting to field the 4-2-4 system at the Stamford Bridge next season. This system involves playing two strikers up front, which is why the Italian boss will need all the forwards he has in his squad during the season.
Also, Chelsea have a partnership with Ajax’s rival Eredivisie club Vitesse Arnhem; the Dutch club have acted as a feeder club to the Blues in the past. Chelsea have sent a number of their youngsters on loan to Vitesse, so that the players can get valuable game time in a European top-flight club. With this partnership in mind, it will be interesting to see whether Chelsea are willing to do business with Vitesse’s rival Eredivisie club.
