Why Crystal Palace have done the right thing by completing a loan deal for Michy Batshuayi
According to Sky Sports, Crystal Palace have signed Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi on a loan deal for the 2020/21 campaign.
The 26-year-old, who is out of contract at Stamford Bridge in 2021, has signed a 12-month extension to his existing deal at Chelsea before heading out on loan for the upcoming campaign. (h/t Sky Sports)
Profile
Born in Brussels, Belgium, Michy Batshuayi shot to prominence with Standard Liege in his homeland, scoring 44 goals in 120 appearances for his boyhood club.
That paved the pay for a move to Marseille in the summer of 2014. after a promising debut season in France, Batshuayi bagged an astonishing 23 goals in 50 appearances for the Ligue 1 club in all competitions during the 2015-16 campaign.
Chelsea came calling the following summer, And while Batshuayi arrived in West London amid much fanfare, his career in English football has never really taken off due to lack of regular playtime. The 26-year-old has endured a stop-start career at Chelsea, spending time on loan at Valencia, Borussia Dortmund, and Crystal Palace.
Batshuayi was retained as a part of the squad by Chelsea boss Frank Lampard last summer. But the Belgian started only once in the Premier League for the Blues throughout the previous campaign. Despite his lack of playtime at Chelsea, however, the Belgian boasts a decent return of 25 goals in 77 games for the Blues.
Batshuayi will add more goals to Palace’s attack
Crystal Palace scored only 31 goals in 38 games en route to their 14th-place finish in the PL last season. It was the second-worst scoring record in the entire division after relegated Norwich City.
Hence, it goes without saying that the Eagles need to improve on their dismal attacking numbers from the previous campaign if they are to challenge for better things in the top-flight. The arrival of an exciting creative midfielder like Eberechi Eze from QPR should certainly improve the quality of Palace’s supply lines.
However, they still needed a new striker to reduce the workload on last season’s top-scorer Jordan Ayew, with Christian Benteke and Connor Wickham continuing to struggle for form and fitness. Cenk Tosun returned to Everton following the expiry of his loan spell, thus leaving Roy Hodgson short of depth and quality in his central attacking options.
And Batshuayi can be a one-stop solution to Palace’s goalscoring woes in the Premier League next season. The Belgian has shown throughout his career that he has the pedigree to deliver goals on a consistent basis when provided with regular playtime.
The 26-year-old spent the second half of the 2018-19 season on loan at Selhurst Park, scoring 6 goals in 13 appearances while establishing himself as a popular figure among the fans. His previous knowledge of Hodgson’s tactics and gameplay should allow him to settle down quickly and make an instant impact in the PL.
Read more
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Verdict
With Timo Werner joining Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud in Chelsea’s striking ranks, Batshuayi’s chances of playing regularly at Stamford Bridge next season looked very slim. On the contrary, Palace can offer him regular playtime and a return to South London on loan is probably the best settlement for all parties involved.
