Chelsea came into the Michy Batshuayi saga like a wrecking ball on Tuesday and agreed a deal with French club Marseille. After Crystal Palace had a €38m bid accepted earlier, other clubs were pushed into a rush for the player.
Palace wasn’t a move Batshuayi was keen on, and there were reports in England that Tottenham were set to re-enter the fray and snatch him away. Earlier on Tuesday, French newspaper L’Equipe had stated Tottenham and West Ham were still interested, along with Atletico Madrid and Juventus.
It would appear Batshuayi got tired of waiting to see if other clubs would agree a fee, and RMC say he’s off to Chelsea for €40m excluding bonuses. Despite not having European football next season, Chelsea remains an attractive option, especially with Antonio Conte arriving.
The Belgium international has received special permission from Marc Wilmots to leave the national selection and travel to London to complete his Chelsea medical. Batshuayi will be joining Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois at the London club.
Marseille will be very happy with the injection of cash, and Tottenham, West Ham, Atletico and Juventus now know this one is over.
Reports in Italy this week had stated Conte and Chelsea were waiting to complete transfers until after Euro 2016, perhaps this one simply couldn’t wait.
