'Why not?': Lyon forward Bertrand Traore open to Manchester United switch

Lyon forward and former Chelsea youth prospect Bertrand Traore would be open to joining former manager Jose Mourinho at Manchester United if the opportunity came to pass after finding it almost impossible to break into the first-team at Stamford Bridge.

Traore left the Premier League champions for Bruno Genesio's side for around £8.8m in the summer and has made a rather positive start to his spell at the Stade des Lyons. Operating predominantly from the right flank, the Burkina Faso international has scored six goals and provided one assist for the Ligue 1 outfit in all competitions, including two against Everton in the Europa League in recent weeks.

The 22-year-old was afforded his Chelsea debut by United boss Mourinho, who has called on the Red Devils to give him further backing in the transfer market in the coming months despite overseeing a £170m summer spree, and believes a reunion with the Portuguese is an eminent possibility, so long as he keeps working strenuously on his game.

Asked about a potential switch to United, Traore told French magazine Onze Mondial, relayed by Football365: "Why not? I'm going to work hard and if the opportunity arises, why not?"

If Traore did end up at United, he would be another source of embarrassment for his former club Chelsea, who have made a number of questionable decisions over the futures of a number of young starlets in recent years.

Traore made 16 appearances during his spell in west London but, like so many before him, saw fit to part permanently with Antonio Conte's side after his efforts to nail down a regular first-team spot proved futile.

Asked why he could not muscle his way into the Chelsea starting line-up, Traore said: "I don't know. I fought. I made it to the first-team, but it's nearly impossible to become a regular starter at Chelsea for a product of the academy, and I wanted to play regularly.

"I'm proud of what I achieved over there before leaving. Leaving the academy, making it into the first-team and scoring goals with the pros, that's not too bad."