The Hague (AFP) – Chelsea signed forward Bertrand Traore to a new three-year deal on Friday before sending the Burkina Faso international out on loan to Dutch giants Ajax for the upcoming season.

Traore, 20, joins the four-time European champions ahead of the first leg of their Champions League play-off tie at home to Rostov on Tuesday. 

“I’m very happy to be an Ajax player. So I’m excited to start playing for Ajax,” Traore said Friday as he toured his new club.

“I like the league here in Holland. I like this style of playing, so I’m very happy to be here,” he said, adding the team had “fantastic players.”

Traore, who previously had an 18-month spell on loan at Vitesse Arnhem, will return to the Eredivisie for the 2016-17 campaign with Ajax after penning a contract that will keep him at Chelsea until 2019.