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Chelsea announced this morning that they have reached an agreement to sign 18-year old Bertrand Traore, a player that many of you likely remember from an impressive series of pre-season performances. Traore an the club have agreed to a 4 1/2 year contract that will finally see him officially tied to Chelsea until the summer of 2018.
The announcement makes no mention of the player being granted a work permit in England, although I'd assume that's the next logical step in this process. The youngster can't play for either the senior side or the U21 squad without that, although his status with the Burkina Faso national team makes it fairly easy to see him being granted one.
If he's not granted that paperwork, one would think he'll be heading straight out on loan, although where he'd end up is anyone's guess. I'd imagine that the preferred course of action is to allow him to settle in London, so I'd expect to hear of an attempt to gain a permit before we hear about a potential loan.
Welcome to Chelsea Bertrand, and best of luck in your World Cup Qualifier coming up in November.
Update: Traore has been granted a work permit, according to the Daily Mail