Towards the end of last summer window, AFC Bournemouth allowed Hamed Traorè to join AJ Auxerre on a season-long loan deal.
The French club were able to attract the 25-year-old months after securing a promotion to the top flight.
Auxerre president Baptiste Malherbe was a guest on L’Yonne Républicaine’s podcast, Deb’AJA.
He used the Bournemouth man’s signing as an example to explain how his club manages to attract players of his quality despite their limited budget and Maligue 2 have relayed his comments.
According to the president, the Ligue 1 club’s sporting project, defined playing style, image and the atmosphere created within the club are some of the key factors.
“The atmosphere we manage to create at Auxerre affects the club’s performance and attractiveness. And we’ve been able to recruit better lately because from the outside, we have a very positive image. The players see a full, festive stadium, players in good condition, a staff with ideas, and a very defined playing style,” he said.
“So, we manage to be attractive to players, because sometimes, there’s more to football than money. There are players who still manage to be convinced by a club project, a quality of life, and playing in a favourable environment.”
The Bournemouth player was on loan at Napoli during the second half of last season and it didn’t work out for him. However, he has impressed at Auxerre, scoring 10 goals and registering two assists from 24 league games.
Malherbe is of the belief his side has been able to provide a fresh opportunity for the 25-year-old to regain his happiness.
“And the second satisfaction was also to give Junior a new taste for football and enjoyment. He said it quite early on when he arrived here: he felt like he was part of a family, with confidence, which also allows him to perform well. And that’s very important. It means the club is thriving internally,” Malherbe explained.
Auxerre don’t have a purchase option, meaning the Cherries will welcome Traorè after this season. His contract at Bournemouth is until 2028.
