Chelsea loan army: Keep, loan or sell? Michy Batshuayi (Part 28)

In Part 27 of this series, I broke down Tariq Uwakwe’s career at Chelsea and discussed what his future in football looks like. For those who haven’t read the introductory piece to this series, a different player will be the subject of a new article every day. I began with goalkeepers and am currently in the process of working my way up the pitch, with each position group being sorted in order by the way in which they appear on the club’s website.

As I move on with the loan army series, I begin the deep dive into the final loanee group—the forwards—with Michy Batshuayi. Despite never being an established starter in the Blues’ XI, Batshuayi is a cult hero in west London. His vibrant personality, relatability and that goal make him one of the most beloved Chelsea characters in recent memory. Let’s relive the career of the Belgian from the beginning up to present day.

More from Chelsea FC Loan Watch

• Chelsea: The €30m January signing who will highly excel with Pochettino’s appointment
• Chelsea loan Army: How Ian Maatsen has got on at Burnley
• What’s next for Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher as asking price revealed?
• The next man up for Chelsea: Left back Ian Maatsen
• The next man up for Chelsea: Center forward Mason Burstow

What does Michy Batshuayi’s Chelsea career look like?

Batshuayi is easily one of the most well-travelled players in the Blues’ loan army. This is in terms of both clubs and countries he’s played for throughout his career. Born in Belgium, Batshuayi began his career with a host of local clubs. He joined RFC Evere at the age of 10 before moving to RUSA Schaarbeek two years later. His impressive performances at the youth levels saw him join Brussels for a season, Anderlecht the following year and Brussels again after that. Following his second stint with Brussels, Batshuayi landed with his final youth spot, Standard Liege.

Standard Liege handed the forward his debut at the age of 17 after he spent three seasons with the academy. Batshuayi made just two appearances during his maiden professional campaign, but went on to become a smashing success during his sophomore season. The native Belgian played in 33 games in his second season, managing nine goals. Batshuayi continued to grow in confidence and as a player during the next two years. He finished his career in his home country with 44 goals and 13 assists across 120 contests, this impressive tally catching the eye of Europe’s elite.

Marseille moved for the striker during the summer of 2014. Batshuayi made his Ligue 1 debut the following day for Marcelo Bielsa’s side. Despite not getting into the starting line-up many times throughout his first season in France, Batshuayi managed double-digit goals. However, when the Argentine manager departed for Lazio, the Belgian striker truly broke out of his shell. Batshuayi played in 50 matches across four competitions, netting 23 goals and adding 10 assists. These eye-popping stats saw interest come in from a number of large European clubs including West Ham, Crystal Palace, Juventus and Chelsea.

Although the south Londoners had a bid accepted by the French giants, Batshuayi elected to join the Blues instead, led by new manager Antonio Conte. Viewed more as a complement to Diego Costa—rather than a replacement—the striker assisted Costa’s match-winning goal on the opening day of the Premier League season. He went on to also score the winner at Watford the following week. Batshuayi played in 28 matches for Conte’s Blues, scoring 11 goals, none more important than the match-winner at West Brom. His tap-in with less than 10 minutes to play helped Chelsea secure the Premier League title over rivals Tottenham.

Batshuayi scored his most clutch Blues goal the following season when he found the back of the net with the last kick of the game away at Atletico Madrid. Much like his debut campaign with Chelsea, Batshuayi still struggled for starts, but he remained a reliable super-sub. The lack of starts and desire to make the Belgian World Cup squad saw him move on loan for the first time in the winter of 2018. Batshuayi was scheduled to spend the remainder of the year with Dortmund, but an ankle injury cut his stint short. Regardless, it was some of the best football he’d played in his career up to that point. His nine goals in 14 games earned him a spot on the 2018 World Cup roster.

Batshuayi’s 2018/19 season was one to forget after such an impressive period before his injury. He first went out on loan to Valencia. Although he set records—becoming the first player to score in four of Europe’s top five leagues during this century—he was recalled due to a lack of play time in the Spanish squad. Crystal Palace got their guy two-and-a-half years later though, with the Belgian joining on a six-month loan. His six goals in 13 games were enough to convince Frank Lampard to keep him around when the Blues had a transfer ban.

To the surprise of nobody, Batshuayi scored yet another divisive goal, this time the 1-0 winner at Ajax in the Champions League. The story remained the same though as he seldom saw the pitch. This led to the No. 9 returning to Crystal Palace, where he has enjoyed a less successful stay than before. He’s scored a handful of goals—game winners, no less—but has not found the back of the net often.

This begs the question: what does Chelsea do with Batshuayi this summer?

Verdict: Keep or sell

Batshuayi’s verdict seemed like an obvious choice, but the more I thought about it, the tougher it got. The Blues are likely going to ditch both Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud this summer in favor of a big-money move for an individual like Romelu Lukaku. Given the need to fill holes elsewhere in the squad, it’d be worth Thomas Tuchel taking a look and considering keeping Batshuayi around as a back-up. Perhaps the German could unlock the Belgian striker, but if not, it’s a low-risk, high-reward move. Chelsea wouldn’t have to purchase two strikers, which could largely be seen as unnecessary. If the Blues have no plans for Batshuayi in the depth chart, offloading him with one-year left on his deal would be the best route to take. No matter what happens though, Batshuayi will always be a beloved member of the Chelsea family.

Remember to check back with The Pride of London each and every day as I dive into the largely uncharted world of Chelsea’s famous loan army. Part 29’s subject is forward Armando Broja.