'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Michy Batshuayi has struggled for playing time since moving to Chelsea in the summer of 2016. Although Antonio Conte bought the Belgian, he clearly doesn’t have a lot of trust in him.
The Blues boss has often chosen to play Willian or Hazard as a false nine if and when Alvaro Morata hasn't been fit, or in some cases last season, when Diego Costa was unavailable. Soon enough this could force the Belgian to look for options elsewhere because at 24, he would be hoping for more than a bit part role.
That being said, here are 5 clubs that could really use Michy Batshuayi:
#5 Newcastle United
It may well be a long shot, but Batshuayi would be an outstanding signing for Newcastle, and he would really push them up the table.
Chelsea may have paid over £30 million originally for the Belgian, but his stock has certainly dropped since then. Chelsea will probably have to take a hit on the striker in terms of his transfer fee if they do decide to sell him, because although his conversion rate is one of the best in the Premier League, he has made just 3 Premier League starts since the start of last season.
Furthermore, with Newcastle on the rise and Mike Ashley trying to sell the club, a new buyer could invest more money into the club and help Rafa Benitez make the signings he would like to make.
Newcastle have bought Joselu and have Dwight Gayle, but despite Gayle being a prominent part of their promotion from the Championship, Rafa Benitez clearly doesn’t think he is good enough for the Premier League. Gayle has made just two starts and has struggled to nail down a starting spot.
Batshuayi would perfectly suit Benitez’s style of play and walk into their starting 11. He is strong and holds the ball up extremely well, but his technical attributes mustn’t be ignored. He is an intelligent finisher and can score all types of goals, which would make him perfect for a team like Newcastle, who will take every goal they can get.
#4 Crystal Palace
Dependent on Crystal Palace’s survival, Batshuayi would certainly be an upgrade on their current striker Christian Benteke. Although Batshuayi’s fellow compatriot is strong in the air, some of his game on the floor is limited. This points to the reason why he was sold by Liverpool and hasn’t scored in six Premier League appearances this season.
A permanent move for the Belgian does seem unlikely, however. Palace could afford to purchase Batshuayi, but a move from Chelsea to Crystal Palace is a drastic drop, even if he has struggled for playing time with the Blues.
Additionally, a January move seems unlikely with Chelsea only having one other out and out striker. Next summer though, Chelsea will bring in a new striker, and Batshuayi could make a move on loan.
Since the arrival of Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace midway through this season, the team have been scoring goals, but they just haven’t been able to put games to bed. Furthermore, recently, when Benteke was out injured, they were forced into playing Wilfried Zaha as their main striker, illustrating how thin their squad is, especially in the forwards department.
Palace still have a long way to go to survive, but if they are able to do so and show the Belgian their future ambitions to climb the Premier League table, they could potentially persuade him to get some game time away from Chelsea, even if it may only be on loan.
#3 Lyon
Lyon have made a very strong start to their Ligue 1 campaign, losing just one of their opening 13 games. Furthermore, they sit third only behind the top two of last season, PSG and Monaco.
Mariano, who was brought in from Real Madrid permanently last summer, has been a revelation for the French club. In 12 league appearances, he has already scored nine goals, already making him a great replacement for long-serving striker Alexandre Lacazette.
However, the Brazilian is the only striker Lyon have. Bertrand Traore, Memphis Depay and even Nabil Fekir can all be deployed as strikers, but they are not outright strikers like Batshuayi. And even though Mariano has made an excellent start to the season, Batshuayi would be an improvement on the Brazilian.
Batshuayi already has four full seasons of European football under his belt, one of those being in Ligue 1, at just 22 years of age, when he scored 17 goals. The two are of the same age, and Mariano is only playing his first full season in Europe as a professional, with his time at Madrid mainly being with the Castilla team.
Mariano is clearly a huge talent, but if Lyon are looking to get better, having Batshuayi as first choice and Mariano, either with him, or as an option, would certainly help them mount a challenge for the Ligue 1 title.
#2 Marseille
Could a return to Batshuayi’s previous club be on the cards?
Since his departure in 2016, they have failed to replace the 24-year-old with somebody who could produce the striker's output. In his final season in France, he scored 17 goals, aged just 22. If he were to move back now, as a more mature player, there is no doubt he would score even more in a single season.
Marseille recently bought two new strikers only last summer, with Valere Germain and Konstantinos Mitroglou both having arrived at the French club. However, Germain was more recently a bit part player at Monaco and has only scored just 41 league goals in 159 appearances, and Mitroglou has never impressed in Europe’s top five leagues.
Therefore, Marseille would welcome Batshuayi back with open arms. They sit fourth in Ligue 1 but are only two points behind third-placed Lyon and five points behind champions Monaco, suggesting they are having a good season as it is.
If Batshuayi was to return and chip in with more goals, the French club could finally return to the top in France, something they haven’t done since 2010.
They have great attacking midfielders with Dimitri Payet, Florian Thauvin and Maxime Lopez, but they currently lack the cutting edge up front, meaning the addition of Batshuayi would most definitely make Marseille a better side.
#1 Everton
Batshuayi is exactly the player Everton are crying out for. Everton have lacked conviction and pace all season, with their striking options being Wayne Rooney, Oumar Niasse and Sando Ramirez, all of whom are underwhelming in their own individual ways.
The Toffees are at a lowly 16th on the Premier League table, way below where everyone expected them to be this season, especially after a 7th-place finish last season.
The main problem at Goodison Park, is that there aren’t any real ideas, and the players are unsure of what the system is currently. The problems at the club have further been emphasised, with the board yet to name a new manager.
One thing Batshuayi would certainly inject into the current Everton side, is pace. He is mainly strong at holding the ball up and linking up with others, but if necessary, he has the pace to run in behind and cause problems. This is something Everton haven’t done all season, making them easy to defend against.
The Chelsea striker would be a great addition for Everton, and he is most certainly attainable. Everton’s new owners are far from reluctant to spend money as they showed this past summer, even with the money they got from Romelu Lukaku’s departure.
If Everton can replicate their form of recent seasons unlike this one, Batshuayi could still be convinced to move to the Merseyside club.
