The 18-year-old Burkina Faso international impressed while on trial at Stamford Bridge over the summer and now joins the club after agreeing a four-and-a-half year contract.

Chelsea have reached an agreement to sign Bertrand Traore on a free transfer, the club have announced.

The midfielder came to prominence as the youngest player at the 2009 Under-17 World Cup in Nigeria, where he represented Burkina Faso at the age of 14, and the Blues have held a long-standing interest ever since.

Now 18, he moves to Stamford Bridge on a four-and-a-half year contract from Association Jeunes Espoirs De Bobo-Dioulasso.

Traore joined Jose Mourinho’s side as a trialist on their pre-season tour of Asia in the summer, playing a part in all three games and scoring against a Malaysia XI and Indonesia All Stars.

The attacking midfielder previously helped Burkina Faso to win the Under-17 African Championship in 2011 and already has 10 international caps under his belt since making his debut as a 16-year-old, scoring once.

He was a member of Paulo Duarte’s squad for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, making one appearance as the team finished bottom of their group.

According to Goal