Michy Batshuayi (Getty Images)
According to The Express (h/t Daily Star), Crystal Palace are eyeing Chelsea forward Michy Batshuayi ahead of the summer transfer window.
Batshuayi, 26, came through the ranks of FC Brussels and Anderlecht’s youth system before moving to Marseille in 2014. In his two seasons with the French outfit, he scored 33 goals in 77 appearances while providing 10 assists.
Chelsea bought him in 2016 but the Belgian struggled for game time and was eventually sent on loan. However, he returned to Stamford Bridge and has found it difficult under each of the last three managers – Antonio Conte, Maurizio Sarri and Frank Lampard.
He has been relegated to being the third-choice at the club since the upturn in Olivier Giroud’s form and is in need of game time to take his career forward.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace have not been consistent throughout the campaign but have managed to get the results their way in the last few weeks. After a 7-match winless streak, the Eagles’ victory over Watford was the third win in the last three league games and have managed to reach 11th place in the league table.
One of the chief reasons for their inconsistency is the lack of goals. The Eagles’ attacking unit has scored just 26 goals so far, which is the second-lowest tally in the top-flight this term. Jordan Ayew is their top scorer with 8 goals while Christian Benteke has managed to score only once in the league.
Other forwards like Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend have contributed with just 4 goals and have not supported the strikers well. Cenk Tosun was brought on loan in January but a crucial injury has put him on the sidelines for the rest of the season. Hence, the onus is on Roy Hodgson to bring in reinforcements to form a decent attacking unit.
In that regard, they should take their chances with Michy Batshuayi, who has already played for a while at Selhurst Park. In 13 games on loan in the second half of the previous campaign, he scored 6 goals in 13 games for the Eagles.
The former Marseille man is capable of scoring if he is given the opportunities and Hodgson can add depth to his squad. Batshuayi scored 17 goals for the French outfit in the 2015/16 campaign and can be useful to the team if he replicates that form.
He has also scored 16 goals for Belgium in 29 games and has the ability to score at a decent rate, given he is backed up well and gets regular action time.
Palace are in dire need of strikers and Batshuayi needs an opportunity to revive his career. Therefore, this move can be helpful for both the club and the player and Hodgson must make sure he lures the Belgian to Selhurst Park in the summer.
