According to Daily Mail, Crystal Palace are expected to make a January move for Michy Batshuayi. The Eagles are keen to sign the Chelsea attacker as they aim to strengthen their offensive department, after an explosive start to the campaign. They believe that the Blues could be persuaded to sell their Belgian striker and a January move could be on the horizon.
Batshuayi’s spell at Chelsea so far
Batshuayi has never really managed to make a breakthrough at Chelsea ever since joining the club back in 2016. And while the Belgian hasn’t exactly performed badly, he was rather unlucky for the most part of his ongoing spell at Stamford Bridge.
As a matter of fact, Batshuayi enjoyed a productive loan spell at Borussia Dortmund during the second half of the 2017/18 campaign, scoring seven goals in ten matches. He did endure a disastrous spell at Valencia the following campaign. But, the ex-Marseille striker redeemed himself at Crystal Palace, when he joined the club on loan earlier this year.
Batshuayi scored five goals in 11 matches for the Eagles before returning to Stamford Bridge this summer. But, upon his return at west London, the Belgian has been overshadowed by the emergence of Tammy Abraham. The youngster has already netted eight goals in the Premier League this term – making him the joint top-scorer in the English top flight.
As a result, Chelsea ace’s overall game-time has been minimised to just 44 minutes, which is quite unacceptable for a player of his calibre.
Should Chelsea keep hold of Batshuayi?
Considering Batshuayi’s struggles at Stamford Bridge, it might seem logical to let go of the Belgian ace in the upcoming January transfer window.
But, at the same time, Frank Lampard should be aware of the club’s transfer ban that is restricting them from signing any new players until next summer. That means Olivier Giroud would remain the only alternative for Abraham, should Batshuayi leave the club in winter.
And the Frenchman, just like his Belgian counterpart, has also struggled to perform under Lampard. Therefore, he cannot be considered as a reliable primary alternative for Abraham, whose injury could put Chelsea in a spot of bother.
Hence, the most logical move would be to keep hold of Batshuayi at least until the end of the campaign. The Blues will be able to sign new players next summer and that is when they can easily sign a replacement for the striker, making it easy for them to let go of him.
