Sporting Kansas City II announced today that the club has signed 20-year-old winger Amadou Traore to an MLS NEXT Pro professional contract ahead of the 2023 season.
Traore boasts strong pedigree as a former France youth international who has logged 20 appearances for Bordeaux in the French Ligue 1, one of the best leagues in the world. The forward has also scored seven goals in 37 league matches for Bordeaux II across four seasons in the French third division from 2018-2022.
Born and raised in Paris, Traore spent seven years in the Paris FC academy from 2008-2015 before moving south to join Bordeaux's youth ranks. He landed his Bordeaux II debut in August 2018 and enjoyed a breakout the following year by scoring seven times in 17 matches during the 2019-20 campaign.
On the heels of an excellent run with Bordeaux II, Traore was promoted to the first team and earned his Ligue 1 debut on Oct. 25, 2020, in a 2-0 victory over Nimes. He was a valuable piece from off the bench for the remainder of 2020-21 as Bordeaux claimed a 12th-place finish. Traore's final season at Bordeaux in 2021-22 yielded 12 appearances and nine starts for the second team, one game in Ligue 1 and two first-team matches in the prestigious Coupe de France.
On the international stage, Traore represented the France U-16s from 2016-2017, netting three goals, before climbing to the U-17 level in 2018. He opened his U-17 scoring account in a 2-0 win over Sweden on March 26, 2019, and less than two months later was a member of the France team that reached the semifinals of the 2019 UEFA Under-17 Championship, making four appearances in the tournament. Through his family lineage, Traore is also eligible to represent the Guinea national team.
With Traore's addition, Sporting KC II now has 13 players signed to MLS NEXT Pro professional contracts.
Sporting KC II Roster (as of Jan. 16, 2023)
- Goalkeepers (1): Ethan Bandre
- Defenders (5): Aljaz Dzankic, Coby Jones, Mikey Lenis, Jahon Rad, Diedie Traore
- Midfielders (2): Ethan Bryant, Enzo Mauriz
- Forwards (5): Bakary Bagayoko, Josh Coan, Andrew Draper, Amadou Traore, Pau Vidal
Led by head coach and longtime Sporting midfielder Benny Feilhaber, Sporting KC II will begin preparations in February for the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro season, which will feature an expanded field of 28 clubs.
Transaction: Sporting Kansas City II (MLS NEXT Pro) signs forward Amadou Traore to an MLS NEXT Pro professional contract.
VITALS
Amadou Traore (AH-mah-doo try-OR-ay)
Position: Forward
Born: 3/7/2002 (20 years old)
Height: 5-10
Weight: 170 lbs.
Hometown: Paris, France
Birthplace: Paris, France
Previous Club: Bordeaux (France)
Instagram: @amdtraore
