Chelsea have been relatively quiet in the summer transfer window thus far but a big departure took place last week, with highly-rated young forward Bertrand Traore leaving the club and joining Lyon in a deal worth a reported £8.8m.

Traore is likely to be the first of many players leaving Stamford Bridge this summer, with the likes of Nemanja Matic, Diego Costa and Michy Batshuayi linked with an exit, and he becomes the latest in a long line of talented young players who have left the club due to a lack of first-team opportunities.

The likes of Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne have moved away from Stamford Bridge to secure regular football and have since become superstars in the Premier League, which leaves fans fearing a similar scenario could occur with Traore.

Crucially, the Blues seem to have learnt from their previous mistakes as it has been indicated a buy-back clause has been included in Traore’s deal with Lyon- but the recent comments from the 21-year-old suggest he may not be open to a return to West London.

Speaking to The London Evening Standard, Traore stated he was intent on leaving Stamford Bridge as he knew he’d never get an opportunity in the first-team, regardless of how well he performed behind the scenes or away on-loan.

“It was time. Considering my age and for my development, it was time for me to leave the club. I could have stayed at Chelsea and played a few minutes in every game, fighting every day for a spot, knowing that I’ll never get a spot, I trained at the club, I did everything.”

“Two seasons ago, I challenged the starters but we all know what happened last year. I was there during pre-season and then I was sent out on loan. So this year, I did not want to re-live the same scenario. It was time for me to find a stable club where I could play first-team football, where I could be one of the key players in the team.”

“To be one of the key players in the team, you need to fight, and here, I’ll do everything to be amongst them, and I’ll give everything for the club.”

Traore could now become an integral part of Lyon’s first-team set-up as star striker Alexandre Lacazette seems extremely likely to leave the club this summer, leaving a huge void in the squad for the Burkina Faso striker to fill in.

For Chelsea, fans will hope it isn’t another case of ‘the one that got away’ but there’s a real danger of that occurring, as Traore impressed with nine goals on-loan with Ajax last season.