(Credit: Manh Tung)

Bertrand Traore shares his one Sunderland goal after deadline day arrival at Stadium of Light

Alex is a lifelong Sunderland supporter who's been reporting on Mackem News since April 2025. Indeed, he started working for Breaking Media in April and has since graduated from St Mary's University as a NCTJ Gold Standard-accredited journalist, having completed his Master's degree in Sports Journalism. Alex previously worked for Football League World and has featured on the Roker Report, providing his opinion on all things Sunderland. While getting to the games is tricky, given his job, one of the highlights of his life was watching (and crying) as the Black Cats defeated Sheffield United at Wembley Stadium last season.

Published on:

04 Sep 2025, 10:00 am

Sunderland were busy on transfer deadline day despite already completing a raft of deals.

The Black Cats were forced to dip back into the market after Chelsea recalled Marc Guiu from his season-long loan.

As well as acquiring Brian Brobbey, Sunderland finally landed another winger in Bertrand Traore from Ajax.

Now, the Burkina Faso international has spoken out for the first time since sealing his return to the Premier League.

Brobbey also arrived from Ajax (Credit: Manh Tung)

Bertrand Traore speaks of pride after sealing Sunderland transfer

Sunderland's squad value increased significantly this summer after the influx of recruits on Wearside.

There was a clear emphasis on securing attacking talent throughout the window amid the lack of quality and depth.

The wings were priority positions for Regis Le Bris, and the Black Cats brought in Simon Adingra and Chemsdine Talbi early in the window.

However, after a deal to sign Armand Lauriente collapsed in the final stages, Le Bris spoke of the need for more on the flanks.

In the end, it was Traore that the Wearsiders were able to get through the door, and he has previous Premier League experience with Aston Villa.

Tarore notched 18 goal contributions for Ajax last term
His best league numbers were the 17 he contributed for Lyon in 2017/18
He bagged seven goals and seven assists for Villa in the 2020/21 Premier League season

Speaking via Foot Africa on 4 September, Traore said his goal now is to keep Sunderland in the Premier League.

"First of all, it's a huge source of pride for me to return to the Premier League," he said. "This is football; unexpected things happen. This opportunity presented itself at the very last moments of the transfer window. As a competitor, I preferred to seize the chance.

"My goal is also to stay at the highest level for as long as possible. After a strong season with Ajax, I think it's been several years—I'm not even sure, since I started my professional career, if I've ever managed to play so many matches in a season without injury."

Can Bertrand Traore land a place in Regis Le Bris' team?

The 29-year-old has played for his fair share of clubs and has received mixed reviews from Sunderland supporters.

Inconsistency is probably a justified term to describe the right-winger, but he has produced some encouraging numbers during his career.

However, there is just the small matter of Talbi standing in his way, meaning Traore must remain patient for a chance.

Talbi has impressed in his early displays, and it would take something special to nudge him off his starting perch.

Last season, Traore rediscovered his mojo, but he will have to elevate his performances even higher to land a place in Le Bris' starting lineup.

Sign up for the Mackem News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Sunderland AFC news sent straight to your phone.

Bertrand Traore