Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has revealed that he wants to keep Bertrand Traore at the club next season.
The 17-year-old Burkina Faso midfielder is reportedly at Stamford Bridge on a student visa.
However, some impressive performances on the Blues' pre-season tour of Asia have led to calls from Mourinho to grant the youngster a work permit.
"We want to keep him," Goal.com quotes the Portuguese as saying. "Sooner or later the committee has to give him a work permit to play in England.
"If he goes on loan somewhere, he has to go, but if he's playing for his country at the same time – one of the most important countries in African football – he'll get his deserved permit."
Chelsea continue their pre-season campaign on August 2 against Inter Milan in Indianapolis.