PROFILE | Hamed Traoré gets his career back on track at Auxerre | OneFootball

Thrust into a starring role at AJ Auxerre, Hamed Traoré has been a revelation in Ligue 1 this season. On loan from Premier League side Bournemouth, the Ivory Coast international has transitioned seamlessly into Christophe Pélissier’s set-up.

Traditionally employed as an attacking midfielder down the left, he has been instrumental in AJA’s early success in the league this season. His technical finesse and feel for the game have been particularly sharp for a side coming up from Ligue 2 and facing numerous teams with far more experience at this level.

Traoré’s done a splendid job at offloading the ball quickly, enabling his side to transition effectively, a formula that Auxerre have found great success with so far. He’s also been sharp in the attacking third for AJA, leading the team in goals after 15 Ligue 1 games, two of which were match-winners. Traoré has worked out well for Auxerre, who are in the top half of the table in Ligue 1 after 15 matches.

Plenty can still happen in the league, but Traoré’s contributions have helped Auxerre remain well above the Ligue 1 relegation line. With Traoré at his disposal, Pélissier has employed a more aggressive approach than we may be used to seeing from a newly promoted side, many of whom tend to just try and survive when arriving in the top flight.

Traoré on Monaco’s radar

Not only have Auxerre survived, but they’ve shown an ability to put experienced Ligue 1 teams on the back foot, with the opposition needing to respect the technical qualities that Traoré possesses. By the end of matchday 11, Auxerre had already reached the 20-goal mark domestically, a feat which took them until matchday 24 to achieve in their previous Ligue 1 campaign in 2022-23.

The unfortunate thing for AJA is that they may not have Traoré’s services for as long as they and their supporters would like. When Bournemouth agreed to loan him to Auxerre for a year in late August, the deal came with a no-purchase clause.

However, his loan move at Auxerre has succeeded in getting his career back on track. He arrived in France at a crossroads and he will leave with his reputation significantly enhanced. His performances are even garnering the attention of Champions League side Monaco, as per RMC Sport. Be it at Auxerre, Bournemouth, Monaco, or elsewhere, he will go into next season with a great deal more confidence than he started the current campaign.

GFFN | Joël Lefevre