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Everton today confirmed a loan deal for Monaco striker Lacina Troare but few Everton fans have seen him in action given he has spent much of his career playing in Eastern Europe. Luckily we have done to digging on your behalf.....
Traore began his career with hometown club Stade d'Abidjan in the Ivory Coast before moving to Romanian side CFR Cluj aged 18 in 2008.
There he averaged close to a goal every three games, earning himself a €6million move to Russian side Kuban Krasnodar in 2011.
He only spent 18 months with Kuban, but his goalscoring record improved, hitting 18 goals in just 38 appearances - nearly an average of one goal every other game.
That attracted the attention of big spending Anzhi Makhachkala, who splashed out an estimated €18million on the striker in the summer of 2012.
Traore scored 14 goals in 34 appearances in his first season at the club, including the winner against Liverpool in the Europa League.
However, things would take a turn for the worse last summer when Aznhi's billionaire owner Suleiman Kerimov drastically reduced his funding of the club, sparking a fire sale of players and an inevitable drop off in form.
They currently sit bottom of the Russian Premier League and relegation looks a formality, especially as Traore became the latest star name to leave when he joined Monaco at the start of this month.
But what sort of player is Traore? Apart from being tall??
Well we spoke to Chris Holley, who as well as a being a big Evertonian is also an avid watcher of Russian football and helps run the Transfer Centre Russia Twitter page.
So, Chris, what sort of player have Everton got themselves?
Traore could be a great loan signing. He had a good goal scoring record at Kuban and Anzhi, is a fine finisher, with good movement in the box and he's quite mobile. He has a good touch as well (for a big man - ed).
What about his bad points?
Well, his heading isn't that great for a tall guy and although he is quite powerful he does go down quite easily - something that won't be accepted in the Premier League.
What about rumours of fitness and attitude problems?
Has a hamstring problem at the moment and his last game was the 20th of October vs Spartak Mosow, with the Russian winter break beginning in December. However, he picked up that injury a few weeks after the Spartak game. Prior to that it was believed he had been dropped after a fall out with the manager, Gadzhi Gadzhiyev.
Gadzhiyev wasn't wasn't happy with his physical and mental state as well as his work and dedication in matches. I think that was simply because he didn't want to be at the club anymore. I don't think he was happy with the changes that happened at Anzhi, e.g. changing strategy, reduced funding and the inevitable poor results that followed.
He would have probably left the club last summer when most of the other star names departed but injury scuppered any move. It was perhaps inevitable he was going to move in this month.
If you want to read more of Chris' work make sure you check out his website.
