Chelsea set £10m prie tag for this out-of-favour 27-year-old star – Is it time for goodbye?

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Aniket Rai

Chelsea put Michy Batshuayi up for sale

According to Football.london (h/t The Express), Chelsea are interested in selling Michy Batshuayi but demand around £10million for any potential transfer. The Chelsea striker spent this season out on loan at Crystal Palace. However, he still has one year left on his current contract that expires next year.

The Belgian striker, according to the report, has ‘at least one top-half Premier League club interested in him. That should come as good news for the Blues because Batshuayi is clearly not in Thomas Tuchel’s long-term plans. Here, we see why it’s smart for the Blues to sell Batshuayi once and for all.

Not in Chelsea’s plans

It is clear that Chelsea do not see Batshuayi as the man to lead their line right now. This is also why Frank Lampard would have sent him out on loan to Palace last year. Even now, if the report is to be believed, Chelsea putting him up for sale indicates that Thomas Tuchel does not want him in the Blues’ frontline.

Michy Batshuayi has not cemented his place in the Chelsea starting XI.
Michy Batshuayi has not cemented his place in the Chelsea starting XI.

And if the German gaffer does not want him at the club, it is wise to do away with him in this transfer window as he is out of contract next summer. And as he nears the end of it, the Belgian could see himself leave as a free agent. This is why it is better for Chelsea to make money off him while they still can.

Not the ideal man

There is a reason why the Blues want to sell him. Batshuayi’s scoring statistics are not that of an elite striker. Yes, Timo Werner has been underwhelming on the goal-scoring front but Batshuayi is not the man for Chelsea to add to their ranks, especially now that Olivier Giroud has signed a new contract at the club.

Let us see some of his stats from this season. He scored 2 goals in 20 games for Palace, which is by no means impressive. Tammy Abraham has gradually lost manager Thomas Tuchel’s trust even after being the club’s joint top-scorer this season. So it is hard to see how Batshuayi would get into the team over Abraham.

Batshuayi has been loaned out multiple times since signing for Chelsea in 2016, indicating a lack of trust in him by the club.
Batshuayi has been loaned out multiple times since signing for Chelsea in 2016, indicating a lack of trust in him by the club.

Apart from that, the Belgian’s work rate has also been suspect at Chelsea, with pundit Paul Merson noting that the Belgian striker doesn’t even look ‘interested‘ in a Chelsea shirt, back in 2018.

Better options available

The Blues should try and sell Batshuayi in this window, preferably after Euros 2020 to see if a good showing for Belgium drives his price up. But if they wait longer than that, they risk losing him on a free. Any fee that they get for the 27-year-old Belgian could also be put towards buying a new striker.

The Blues are linked with the deadly Erling Braut Haaland and former Chelsea striker, Romelu Lukaku. They would cost a pretty penny but their numbers speak for themselves. And that is why Chelsea should aim to get Batshuayi off their books in order to make room for any striker who could potentially come in.

Chelsea should do away with Batshuayi while they can make some money from the deal.
Chelsea should do away with Batshuayi while they can make some money from the deal.

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Even if the Blues don’t sign one, Batshuayi does not seem like the striker who can lead the line for years to come. It’s wise to get as much money for him as they can in order to make up for the £33million fee (with add-ons) that they agreed to pay for him back in 2016.