1. Early Life and Youth Career
1.1. Birth and Family
Bertrand Isidore Traoré was born on September 6, 1995. He hails from Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. Football runs in his family, as his father, Feu Traoré Isaï, was also a professional footballer who played for RC Bobo and represented the Burkina Faso national team. Bertrand is the youngest of four children. His second-eldest brother, Alain Traoré, is also a well-known professional footballer, and his cousin, Lassina Traoré, is a striker for Shakhtar Donetsk.
1.2. Youth Development
Traoré's early football development began in France with the youth system of AJ Auxerre. In August 2010, at the age of 14, he was reported to have joined the Chelsea Academy, reportedly choosing them over Manchester United. However, Chelsea clarified in January 2012 that Traoré had not officially signed as a Chelsea player at that time, though he had participated in a six-week trial and made a single appearance for the club's youth team in a friendly. Despite these early ambiguities, he continued to be associated with Chelsea. On July 17, 2013, he made his pre-season friendly debut as a trialist against the Singha All Stars. Following his move to Chelsea's academy, Traoré also received his education at Whitgift School in England.
2. Club Career
Bertrand Traoré's club career has spanned several top European leagues, marked by periods of promising development, significant transfers, and notable contributions to his teams.
2.1. Chelsea
After a period of trials and youth appearances, Bertrand Traoré officially signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with Chelsea on October 31, 2013. The transfer was formally completed on January 1, 2014, when he joined Chelsea's senior team. On June 22, 2015, Traoré received a work permit, enabling him to play officially for Chelsea in England. He was assigned the number 14 shirt, previously worn by André Schürrle.
He made his Chelsea debut on September 16, 2015, coming on as a 77th-minute substitute in a 4-0 UEFA Champions League group stage victory against Maccabi Tel Aviv. His Premier League debut followed on December 5, playing the final seven minutes of a 0-1 home loss to AFC Bournemouth. Traoré began 2016 with a strong run, scoring four goals in five matches. His first official Chelsea goal came on January 31, 2016, in a 5-1 FA Cup victory against Milton Keynes Dons. He confirmed the result five minutes after replacing Diego Costa. Two weeks later, he scored his first Premier League goal against Newcastle United in a game that also ended 5-1. On March 5, given a start against Stoke City in the Premier League, Traoré scored from 20 yd to open a 1-1 draw.
2.2. Vitesse Loan Spells
Traoré's first professional loan spell began on January 2, 2014, when he joined Eredivisie side Vitesse. He made his debut on January 26, entering the match in the 67th minute as a substitute for fellow Chelsea loanee Lucas Piazon. On March 29, 2014, Traoré scored his first goal for Vitesse against SC Heerenveen, contributing to a 2-2 draw. He netted his second goal of the season on April 6 in a 1-1 home draw against Ajax. On April 12, Traoré put Vitesse in the lead against Cambuur, though Vitesse eventually lost the game 4-3.
His loan to Vitesse was extended for the 2014-15 season, confirmed on July 7, 2014. He scored his first goal of that season on October 18 in a 4-1 victory over Willem II. Initially playing primarily as a right winger, Traoré shifted to a lone striker role around December. This change proved fruitful, as he scored on December 14 in a 1-1 draw against Groningen. In subsequent games, he scored his first brace in a 4-0 win over Ajax in the KNVB Cup on December 18, and three days later, netted his first league brace in a 3-0 victory against Heracles. Across his two loan spells, Traoré made a total of 51 appearances for Vitesse, scoring 20 goals.
2.3. Ajax Loan Spell
On August 12, 2016, Traoré signed a new three-year contract with Chelsea before joining Ajax on loan for the 2016-17 season. This move reunited him with his former Vitesse manager, Peter Bosz. He made his league debut the following day, coming off the bench in a 2-2 home draw against Roda JC. On August 16, Traoré started his first match for Ajax in a Champions League play-off round against Rostov, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Traoré scored his first Ajax goal on September 15 in a Europa League group stage tie against Panathinaikos, leveling the score in a 2-1 win. A week later, he scored his first league goal in a 5-1 victory over PEC Zwolle. While his form was criticized by manager Peter Bosz in November 2016, Traoré found his stride, becoming a key player. He scored four goals in the 2016-17 UEFA Europa League campaign, including a crucial brace in a 4-1 victory in the first leg of the semi-final against Lyon. He played every minute of the final, where Ajax ultimately lost to Manchester United by a score of 0-2.
2.4. Olympique Lyonnais
On June 26, 2017, Traoré made a permanent move to Ligue 1 club Lyon, signing a five-year contract. The initial transfer fee was 10.00 M EUR (£8.8 million), with potential add-ons. Chelsea reportedly included a buy-back clause and would receive 15 percent of any future profit Lyon made from selling Traoré. In his debut season in France, Traoré became part of an effective attacking trio alongside Mariano Díaz and Memphis Depay, with all three reaching double figures in league goals. He experienced a knee ligament injury from November 2017 until January, but upon his return, he scored a free kick for Lyon's reserve team.
On July 31, 2020, in the 2020 Coupe de la Ligue Final, which was the last match of the competition, Traoré was the only player to miss his penalty in the shootout against Paris Saint-Germain. His attempt was saved by Keylor Navas, leading to Paris Saint-Germain's 6-5 victory after a goalless draw. Over three seasons with Lyon, Traoré made 125 appearances and scored 33 goals.
2.5. Aston Villa
On September 19, 2020, Traoré returned to the Premier League, signing with Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee, reported to be around £17 million. He scored on his debut just five days later, contributing to a 3-0 away victory in the EFL Cup against Bristol City. His league debut came on September 28 as a second-half substitute in a 3-0 away win over Fulham. On December 20, he scored his first Premier League goal in four years in a 3-0 away victory against local rivals West Bromwich Albion. He also provided an assist in this match. A week later, he scored in the fifth minute of a 3-0 home win against Crystal Palace. On New Year's Day 2021, he scored an equalizer against Manchester United, though Villa ultimately lost 1-2. On January 23, 2021, Traoré scored his fifth goal of the season to seal a 2-0 win against Newcastle United.
On May 23, 2021, the final day of the Premier League season, Traoré scored the first goal at Villa Park with fans in attendance since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This goal came in a 2-1 win against his former club, Chelsea, where he also won the penalty that led to Anwar El Ghazi's winning goal. On August 22, 2022, Traoré joined Süper Lig club İstanbul Başakşehir on a season-long loan, but he was recalled early on January 31, 2023. On April 4, 2023, he scored his first goal for Villa in almost two years, coming on as a late substitute to net the winner in a 2-1 away victory over Leicester City. Four days later, on April 8, 2023, he scored the opening goal in a 2-0 home win against Nottingham Forest. On January 12, 2024, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery announced that Traoré was free to leave the club.
2.6. Villarreal
On February 1, 2024, Bertrand Traoré moved to La Liga side Villarreal on a free transfer. He signed a contract with the Spanish club until the end of the 2023-24 season. During his time at Villarreal, he made 11 appearances, scoring 1 goal.
2.7. Return to Ajax
On July 15, 2024, Bertrand Traoré rejoined his former club, Ajax, signing a contract until 2026. This marked his second stint with the Dutch team, continuing his career in the Eredivisie.
3. International Career
Bertrand Traoré has had a significant international career representing Burkina Faso at both youth and senior levels, demonstrating his talent and leadership from a young age.
3.1. Youth Teams
Traoré was an integral part of the Burkina Faso U-17 national football team. He participated in the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup and the 2011 African U-17 Championship. In the latter tournament, he played a crucial role in helping Burkina Faso defeat Rwanda 2-1 in the final, securing the continental championship.
3.2. Senior National Team
At the remarkably young age of 15, Bertrand Traoré made his debut for the Burkina Faso senior national team on September 3, 2011, in a friendly match against Equatorial Guinea. He became one of the youngest players to appear at an Africa Cup of Nations finals when he participated in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. He came on as a 66th-minute substitute in a 2-1 loss to Sudan in their final group stage match, a game that saw Burkina Faso already eliminated from the tournament.
Traoré scored his first goal for the senior national team on August 14, 2013, opening the scoring in a 2-1 friendly away win over Morocco. At the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, he played all three of his team's games, starting the first two before their group stage exit. Burkina Faso achieved a third-place finish at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon. Traoré scored in a 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau in Marrakesh, which sent his country to the quarter-finals. He was also a member of the Burkina Faso squad that competed in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where he scored in matches against Mauritania and Algeria respectively. He has served as the captain of the national team.
3.3. International Goals
Scores and results list Burkina Faso's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Traoré goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 August 2013 | Grand Stade de Tanger, Tangier, Morocco | 9 |  Morocco | 1-0 | 2-1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 10 January 2015 | Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit, South Africa | 18 |  Eswatini | 4-1 | 5-1 | Friendly |
| 3 | 17 November 2015 | Stade du 4 Août, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso | 27 |  Benin | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 7 January 2017 | Stade de Marrakech, Marrakesh, Morocco | 32 |  Mali | 2-0 | 2-1 | Friendly |
| 5 | 22 January 2017 | Stade de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon | 35 |  Guinea-Bissau | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2017 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 6 | 10 June 2017 | Stade du 4 Août, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso | 40 |  Angola | 3-1 | 3-1 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 7 | 5 September 2017 | Stade du 4 Août, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso | 42 |  Senegal | 1-0 | 2-2 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 28 May 2018 | Stade Pierre Brisson, Beauvais, France | 47 |  Cameroon | 1-0 | 1-0 | Friendly |
| 9 | 22 March 2019 | Stade du 4 Août, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso | 51 |  Mauritania | 1-0 | 1-0 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 10 | 9 October 2020 | Stade El Abdi, El Jadida, Morocco | 55 | DR Congo | 1-0 | 3-0 | Friendly |
| 11 | 12 October 2020 | Stade El Abdi, El Jadida, Morocco | 56 |  Madagascar | 1-0 | 2-1 | Friendly |
| 12 | 29 March 2021 | Stade du 4 Août, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso | 59 |  South Sudan | 1-0 | 1-0 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 13 | 23 January 2022 | Limbe Stadium, Limbe, Cameroon | 63 |  Gabon | 1-0 | 1-1 - | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 14 | 23 September 2022 | Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco | 67 | DR Congo | 1-0 | 1-0 | Friendly |
| 15 | 27 September 2022 | Stade Père Jégo, Casablanca, Morocco | 68 |  Comoros | 2-0 | 2-1 | Friendly |
| 16 | 17 November 2023 | Stade de Marrakech, Marrakesh, Morocco | 73 | Guinea-Bissau | 1-1 | 1-1 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 17 | 21 November 2023 | Stade El Abdi, El Jadida, Morocco | 74 |  Ethiopia | 2-0 | 3-0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 18 | 16 January 2024 | Stade de la Paix, Bouaké, Ivory Coast | 75 | Mauritania | 1-0 | 1-0 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 19 | 20 January 2024 | Stade de la Paix, Bouaké, Ivory Coast | 76 |  Algeria | 2-1 | 2-2 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 20 | 30 January 2024 | Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium, Korhogo, Ivory Coast | 78 | Mali | 1-2 | 1-2 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 21 | 13 October 2024 | Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan, Ivory Coast | 80 |  Burundi | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
4. Personal Life
Bertrand Traoré comes from a family deeply rooted in football. His father, Feu Traoré Isaï, was a footballer who played for RC Bobo and also represented the Burkina Faso national team. Bertrand is the youngest of four children. His older brother, Alain Traoré, is also a professional footballer. The footballing lineage extends to his cousin, Lassina Traoré, a striker currently playing for Shakhtar Donetsk.
After moving to Chelsea's academy, Traoré attended Whitgift School for his education. He is a practicing Catholic, stating, Moi, je crois en Dieu, je suis un catholique. Tout ce que Dieu fait est bon. Je vais faire le travail et Dieu va me guider.I believe in God, I am a Catholic. All that God does is good. I will do the work and God will guide me.French
5. Career Statistics
5.1. Club
Updated as of match played February 23, 2025
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Chelsea | 2015-16 | Premier League | 10 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 4 |
| Vitesse (loan) | 2013-14 | Eredivisie | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 0 | 15 | 3 | ||
| 2014-15 | 29 | 13 | 3 | 3 | - | - | 4 | 1 | 36 | 17 | ||||
| Total | 42 | 16 | 3 | 3 | - | - | 6 | 1 | 51 | 20 | ||||
| Ajax (loan) | 2016-17 | Eredivisie | 24 | 9 | 0 | 0 | - | 15 | 4 | - | 38 | 13 | ||
| Lyon | 2017-18 | Ligue 1 | 31 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | - | 43 | 18 | |
| 2018-19 | 33 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 1 | - | 47 | 11 | |||
| 2019-20 | 23 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 | - | 35 | 4 | |||
| Total | 87 | 21 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 125 | 33 | ||
| Aston Villa | 2020-21 | Premier League | 36 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 38 | 8 | ||
| 2021-22 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 10 | 0 | ||||
| 2022-23 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 8 | 2 | ||||
| 2023-24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 6 | 0 | |||
| Total | 55 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | - | 62 | 10 | |||
| İstanbul Başakşehir (loan) | 2022-23 | Süper Lig | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | 6 | 1 | - | 18 | 3 | ||
| Villarreal | 2023-24 | La Liga | 11 | 1 | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | 11 | 1 | |||
| Ajax | 2024-25 | Eredivisie | 22 | 4 | 2 | 0 | - | 13 | 4 | - | 37 | 8 | ||
| Career total | 263 | 64 | 18 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 62 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 358 | 92 | ||
5.2. International
Updated as of match played October 13, 2024
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burkina Faso | 2011 | 3 | 0 |
| 2012 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2016 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 13 | 4 | |
| 2018 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2021 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 9 | 3 | |
| 2023 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2024 | 6 | 4 | |
| Total | 80 | 21 | |
6. Honours
Traoré has collected several team and individual accolades throughout his professional career.
6.1. Club
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2016-17 (with Ajax)
- Coupe de la Ligue runner-up: 2019-20 (with Lyon)
6.2. International
- African U-17 Championship: 2011 (with Burkina Faso U17)
- Africa Cup of Nations bronze: 2017 (with Burkina Faso)
6.3. Individual
- UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2016-17
- Africa Cup of Nations Best XI: 2017