France Football has taken an interest in the future of Michy Batshuayi, who despite being Belgian made his name at Marseille last season and so has remained on their radar. The publication named 5 potential loan destinations for the striker, who has been unable to dislodge Diego Costa as first choice striker at the Bridge and didn’t even get a start on boxing day in his absence.
Some of the suggestions make more sense than others, but it’s certainly interesting to get a European point of view.
First they suggest Stoke, who are struggling for goals, and whose striking options include the disappointing Wilfried Bony and Peter Crouch. As they point out, a team with Joe Allen as top scorer can clearly upgrade their forward line. Manager Mark Hughes’ Chelsea connections could help too.
Next is a less realistic idea – a move to Borussia Dortmund to replace Pierre Emerick Aubameyang who is heading to the Africa Cup of Nations in January. It’s a nice idea, but Dortmund have decent backups already and Batyshuayi is hardly a like-for-like replacement for Aubameyang.
Third is a return to Marseille, a very sensible idea which would serve the striker well. He would be able to slot straight back in to the side, although it would feel a little like a step backwards.
Next is a move to AC Milan, where fellow Chelsea man Mario Pasalic is making a name for himself under Vincenzo Montella. It’s a move that could suit the Belgian, but a new country and a new language might prove to just add more stress to the career of a young player who just needs to play.
Finally a move to struggling Valencia is mooted. This seems a bad idea. Valencia are a club in turmoil and the last thing Chelsea or Michy need is to get involved with the chaos on the Spanish coast.
Overall the move to Stoke seems like it would be the best idea, allowing Batshuayi to continue adapting to life in England while still giving him a relatively easy route to the first team.
