WANDERERS are racing to sign Lorient’s highly-rated attacker Alain Traore before the close of Monday's transfer window.

Neil Lennon confirmed the club has opened talks with the Burkina Faso international, with a view to loaning him until the end of the season.

Traore – older brother of Chelsea winger Bertrand – can play up front or in a midfield role, and featured in all three of his country’s games at the African Cup of Nations.

He has scored 16 goals in 35 international games but has struggled to get into the Lorient team this season after picking up an ankle injury at the start of the campaign.

But Lennon has high hopes of bringing the pacy 26-year-old to the Macron Stadium quickly to help solve the lack of attacking options in his squad.

“We’ve spoken to his representatives – we may or may not get something done this week,” Lennon told The Bolton News.

“He’s been away at the African Cup of Nations but I think he’s back around now.

“I’d be hopeful of getting that done. We definitely need some bodies in because we’re putting square pegs in round holes at the minute.”

The 26-year-old versatile front man moved to Lorient from Auxerre for £4million in 2012 and was strongly linked with Arsenal 12 months later before a thigh injury was reported to have stalled the deal.

Manchester United had also kept tabs on his progress – which appears to have been hampered more than once by spells on the treatment table – after he impressed Sir Alex Ferguson during a one-month loan as a teenager.

“I went to Manchester United when I was 17,” he revealed in a recent interview. “It went well and Sir Alex said he wanted to keep me.

“But it was impossible to get a work permit. He suggested I go to a Belgian club initially, but I also had the chance to sign for Auxerre.”

By the age of 21 Traore was a first-team regular at Auxerre, scoring nine goals in his final season with the club before moving on to Lorient.

He then scored a goal deep in injury time which helped Burkina Faso qualify for the 2013 African Nations Cup, then added three more in the main tournament to help his country to their best ever finish as runners-up.

“I'll never forget the discussion I had with Ferguson in his office," recounted Traore. “He had this picture of some homeless people and another picture of David Beckham with some other stars celebrating with a trophy.

“He told me that it was up to me to decide which scenario I wanted. He said if I worked hard I could have the same success as Beckham.”

In an interview with FourFourTwo magazine, Traore also remembered Ferguson drawing comparisons between him and United legend Ryan Giggs.

“I also remember he was impressed with my left foot,” he added. “He said 'Alain, it's better to have one great foot than two average feet; just look at Ryan Giggs'. It was a great moment.”

Meanwhile, Lennon has scotched reports from the US that linked defender Tim Ream with a move back to MLS football with New York Red Bulls.

Ream signed a new deal with Wanderers in the summer and Lennon drew a line through any speculation that the 27-year-old would leave in the transfer window.

“There’s absolutely nothing in that – Tim’s going nowhere,” he added.