Chelsea have reportedly slapped a £40 million asking price for Crystal Palace to sign Belgian star Michy Batshuayi on a permanent deal in the summer
If the report by The Sun is to be believed, Chelsea are demanding a whopping £40 million from Crystal Palace for Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi. The Eagles landed the 25-year-old on a deadline day loan deal for the remainder of the season, beating Tottenham Hotspur to his signature.
Batshuayi has endured a frustrating time since joining Chelsea from Marseille in the summer of 2016. The player scarcely received any playing time under the tutelage of Antonio Conte, before a half-season loan spell at Borussia Dortmund in the second half of 2017-18 provided hope of a turnaround.
The Belgian international was then shipped off on a season-long loan spell to Valencia in the subsequent summer, with Maurizio Sarri not fancying him too much. But, the stint at the Mestalla could not have been more different to the one at Dortmund.
Batshuayi was extremely disappointing whenever given an opportunity, having only managed to find the back of the net three times in 23 appearances. Marcelino eventually ran out of patience with the star striker, with Valencia deciding to cut his loan deal short.
Upon returning to Chelsea, the 25-year-old was immediately linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge, with a few English clubs interested in signing him. In the end, Crystal Palace landed him on a loan deal for the rest of the season, with Tottenham dropping out of the race to rope in the player as they felt his weekly wage of £170,000 is too much for an underperforming player.
With Batshuayi yet to kick a ball for the Eagles, Chelsea are already laying down the plans to convince their fellow London club to sign the star striker on a permanent deal in the summer. The Blues though, have slapped a £40 million price tag on the struggling Belgian, which might end up being a deal breaker.
It is unclear as to whether Palace would be open to shelling out the whopping sum that will break their transfer record. Additionally, a permanent move will almost entirely depend on the player’s performances for the rest of the season, starting with this weekend’s clash against Fulham.
It now remains to be seen if Chelsea can finally get Michy Batshuayi off their books after his frustrating stint at the club, having priced him at what looks like an unrealistic £40 million tag.
