Ex-Chelsea winger Bertrand Traore signs for Aston Villa from Lyon in huge boost to Dean Smith’s side
ASTON VILLA have completed the signing of Bertrand Traore for a reported fee of £17million.
The ex-Chelsea forward joins from Lyon on a four-year contract after passing a medical earlier in the week.
Work permit delays set the deal back a couple of days but, on Saturday, Villa confirmed the deal.
Dean Smith told the club website: "We’re delighted that Bertrand has chosen to come to Villa.
"He’s a player with immense talent who will really enhance our attacking options."
Burkina Faso international Traore, 25, first moved to England as a teenager to join Chelsea's academy.
After a loan spell at Vitesse, the winger was seen as a huge prospect for the future and netted a wonderful long-range strike against Stoke in March 2016.
However he failed to consistently impress and left for Ajax on loan, before a permanent move to Lyon.
Traore played 126 times for the Ligue 1 side, scoring 33 goals, but was yet to play this season as talk of a move gained momentum.
And the former Blues starlet accepted the move to Villa Park after being persuaded by assistant manager John Terry.
Traore stated: "I played with JT at Chelsea, I spoke to him.
"I spoke to the manager, spoke with the sporting director as well and some players I used to play with – [Marvelous] Nakamba and [Anwar] El Ghazi. I spoke to Nakamba, I talked to him a little bit about the club.
"Many things made me take the decision to come here. I’m happy.”
Traore is Villa's fourth major signing of the window, joining Emiliano Martinez, Matty Cash and Ollie Watkins to take the club's spending past £75m.