Michy Batshuayi confirms departure on Twitter, Chelsea announcement imminent

Chelsea are on the verge of announcing their first proper signing of the summer after Michy Batshuayi confirmed that he will be leaving Marseille.

Michy Batshuayi has reportedly been on the cusp of a Chelsea switch for about a week. Now, he is standing on the precipice after confirming that he will be leaving current club Marseille.

Taking to Twitter, obviously, to share the news, Batshuayi revealed that his time with the French club is coming to an end.

For all you non-French speakers, BBC Sport kindly translated the important bit.

"This should be formalised tomorrow, I will leave Olympic Marseille this summer."

In a refreshing sight, it seems as though his departure has been handled with grace and that he is leaving the club on good terms.

Interestingly, he fails to name his next destination, but all signs point towards Chelsea. Sky Sports claimed that the Blues had struck a £33 million agreement with Marseille and that Michy Batshuayi had passed a medical.

More from The Pride of London

• Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea player ratings: Abysmal, reckless, wasteful
• Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea: 3 Blues talking points
• Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 1 Blue Mauricio Pochettino should drop
• Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start
• Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Palmer starts in 4-2-3-1

Now, he has only added to the air of inevitability by announcing his departure from the Ligue 1 club.

Chelsea are in need of a striker or two before the start of the next campaign. Radamel Falcao and Alexandre Pato have officially left the club, but Diego Costa’s future is also uncertain. Atletico Madrid are thought to be doing their best to bring him back to the Spanish capital.

What happens to Loic Remy is anyone’s guess.

Hence, Antonio Conte may need to build a new strike-force from scratch and the capture of Michy Batshuayi is a great place to start. The Belgian has been compared to Didier Drogba in terms of his style of play and having struggled to replace the ‘King’ since his exit, this is exciting for Blues fans.

The 22-year-old scored over 20 goals for Marseille last season. While this record is not mind-blowing by any stretch of the imagination, he has shown the potential to become a world-class striker.

Batshuayi has excelled in his limited game-time at Euro 2016, although he was powerless to stop Belgium’s loss to Wales. Marc Wilmots brought him on with seven minutes left and Wales scored their third moments after he entered the field.

Nevertheless, Chelsea fans should be excited about the prospect of Michy Batshuayi lining up at Stamford Bridge. The Antonio Conte is about to truly kick into gear.

Next: Chelsea Tactics and Transfers: Euro 2016, Michy Batshuayi and 4-2-4

What do you think of the move? Are there better players out there available for less? Sound off in the comments below!