Michy Batshuayi has what Chelsea and Valencia needs despite evidence

Michy Batshuayi remains a conundrum of a player for Chelsea, Valencia, and Belgium. But he has what they all need if the work is put in.

There are two modes to Michy Batshuayi. The first is a poacher that finds the back of the net with little to no time to do so. The second is a player who appears lost tactically and technically while being unwilling to fight for a spot.

Since joining Chelsea, both forms have popped up at various times. Chelsea has seen both. Dortmund largely saw the deadly poacher. Valencia has seen the player lost tactically. Belgium has seen both. Wherever Batshuayi goes, he is stuck between two opposite poles.

But buried within is a very good player. Batshuayi may be exactly what his club(s) and country needs. The teams need to realize that while Batshuayi himself needs to put up a fight for minutes.

Batshuayi is a stereotypical poacher of a striker. Not a pure one mind, but then again there is no such thing as a “pure” role player anymore. The fact that his goals are frequently tap ins or “unskillful” has been used as a knock against him. But it takes a special mentality to consistently turn up in the right spot at the right time.

In that sense, Batshuayi is very similar to Didier Drogba. Both had/have a knack of turning up where needed. Not every goal needs to be a bicycle kick or the result of dribbling round six players. They all count the same when they hit the back of the net.

But the problem comes with the inconsistency of the rest of Batshuayi’s play. Because he is very good at finding great positions, he often sees the ball. And often his touch lets him down. He is not a pass master by any means and he has a heavy foot. Occasionally he can link up well with teammates but more often than not he struggles to do so.

What becomes clear is that the more teams use Batshuayi, the better he gets. This was clearest at Dortmund and is somewhat clear with Belgium. The more Batshuayi plays in a team, the more he understands his teammates and can use himself for the betterment of the team. But if he is not used often, he appears to be a player lacking the edge needed to play more.

There is also the sense that the fight within him comes and goes. This season was perhaps his best chance to earn a place at Chelsea. Instead, he opted to go to Valencia rather than fight the very out of form Alvaro Morata or the aging Olivier Giroud.

Valencia stockpiled strikers and Batshuayi was unable to solidify a spot their long term. He is used in rotation but that is mostly it.

Batshuayi is a player (not unlike Morata) who needs to be played into form. The more he plays, the better he gets. Yes, the clubs will have to suffer from several subpar performances. But after that they will have a player who fills the exact role they need filled.

Whether Batshuayi remains at Valencia after January or not is unknown. Whether Maurizio Sarri finds a use for him or not is also unknown. But Batshuayi is a solid player if trusted. Few managers in recent years have but the ones that have know exactly what type of player he is and they have benefited from his goals as a result.