Bertrand Traore is enduring a difficult start to life in La Liga with the former Aston Villa winger left out of Villarreal’s squad for the remainder of the Europa League campaign.
Let go by Aston Villa during the January transfer window, Bertrand Traore will play no part in Villarreal’s last-16 clash with Marseille on Thursday.
Nor will he for the rest of the competition. Should the Yellow Submarines find themselves motoring into the choppy waters of the tournament’s latter stages, that is, with a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang-inspired OM outfit standing in their way of a quarter-final berth.
Tough start for Bertrand Traore after Aston Villa exit
According to Diario AS, there were only three squad places available for Villarreal’s four January signings. As such, it was Traore who found himself becoming the odd one out, left off the roster with fellow winger Goncalo Guedes – once of Wolves – chosen instead.
Former Manchester United defender Eric Bailly and Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee Yerson Mosquera have also been included to boost the club’s options at centre-half.
But it’s not all bad news for Bertrand Traore. At least that big step back was followed by another in the right direction. An impressive display during Villarreal’s 5-1 dismantling of Granada on Sunday could prove to be the turning point after a difficult start to life on Spanish soil. A first start in the famous yellow shirt taking his number of minutes to 81 for Marcelino Garcia Toral’s team.
Left out of Europa League squad
Aston Villa terminated Traore’s contract on February 1st. The one-time Chelsea prospect joined the Midland giants during the summer of 2020 in a £17 million deal from Lyon, but slipped down the pecking order after Dean Smith was replaced by first Steven Gerrard and then Unai Emery.
The sudden return to form of Leon Bailey – and the £50 million acquisition of Moussa Diaby – spelled the end of his Villa career.
“My last two seasons have been hell. I picked up many injuries and had lots of problems with Gerrard,” Traore told The Sun in April last year. “With Gerrard there were no personal issues. He is a good coach. It’s just I was injured a lot.
“And despite that, I still went away to the Africa Cup of Nations in 2022, where I sustained another injury.
“He took it badly and made me train with the reserves before sending me out on loan.”
HITC Football understands that Aston Villa, who prioritised youth and potential in January, are likely to do the same in the summer. Teenagers Michael Kayode and Roony Bardghji, of Fiorentina and Copenhagen respectively, are on the radar.
Villa, meanwhile, face Ajax in their own European adventure tomorrow.
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