Antonio Conte made his first move into the summer transfer market as new Chelsea manager last weekend with the acquisition of striker Michy Batshuayi from French side Marseille.
The 22-year-old arrives at Stamford Bridge for a reported £33m and has penned a five-year contract with the Blues, linking up with Belgian team-mates Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Batshuayi explained how both his compatriots helped convince him to move to west London, and spoke of his desire to help lead the club to further honours:
“I am delighted to sign for one of the biggest clubs in Europe and embark on the next chapter in my career. I hope I can help Chelsea win many trophies during my time at Stamford Bridge. Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois have told me many good things about the club, and with Antonio Conte coming in it’s an exciting time to become a Chelsea player. This is a fantastic opportunity for myself and my family, I am looking forward to playing in the Premier League next season.”
The History
Born in Brussels, Batshuayi played youth football for a number of different clubs in Belgium, including Anderlecht, before joining Standard Liege at the age of 15.
He made his senior debut for the club as a late substitute in a 4-1 defeat to Gent in February 2011, and scored his first goal in a Europa League tie against FC Copenhagen ten months later. Batshuayi ended the 2011/12 campaign with six goals from 23 league appearances and improved on that record the following season, producing 11 goals and five assists in 32 league matches.
In 2013/14, Batshuayi established himself as one of the most sought-after strikers in Belgium, ending the campaign with 21 goals and five assists from 38 appearances. In the summer of 2014, Marseille swooped to sign the striker for £4.5 million, and he enjoyed a reasonable first season in the south of France, primarily coming off the bench, scoring nine goals in 26 league appearances.
Last season, though, Batshuayi’s performances moved on to the next level, as he ended the campaign with 17 goals and nine assists in a team which only finished nine points above the Ligue 1 drop zone.
Batshuayi represented his country 13 times at Under 21 level, scoring seven goals and registering one assist, before making his senior debut against Cyprus in March 2015, where he found the net as a late substitute in a 5-0 win. He has made seven appearances for his country up to this point, scoring three times, including a goal in the 4-0 win over Hungary in Euro 2016.
The Prospects
Having fought off competition from a number of different clubs, including Tottenham, West Ham and Crystal Palace, to win the race for Batshuayi’s signature, and having invested so heavily in the 22-year-old, it’s expected he’ll be a regular starter for the Blues.
The big unknown at Stamford Bridge is what system new manager Conte will look to deploy, having favoured a three-man defence for the majority of his spells in charge of Juventus and Italy. Conte has also used a 4-4-2 formation, though, so there’s every chance he could start with both Batshuayi and Diego Costa in attack as the Blues move away from a 4-2-3-1 setup.
Certainly, the two should compliment each other well, with the Belgian’s combination of power and pace, and his ability to stretch defences, a nice contrast to Costa’s more rounded game, with the Spain international adept at holding the ball up and bringing his team-mates into play.
There is a chance that Costa could depart this summer, but such a scenario would merely enhance Batshuayi’s Fantasy prospects. It could also, potentially, see Hazard shifted into a central role if Conte decides that he’s not suited to a wing-back berth, though at the moment, it’s too early to tell and we’ll be keeping a keen eye on the Italian’s tactics once pre-season gets underway.
Looking at Costa and Batshauyi’s numbers from last season, the latter averaged a shot every 24.1 minutes, compared to every 36.7 minutes for Costa. Given leading marksmen Sergio Aguero and Harry Kane fired an effort every 20.5 and 22.1 minutes respectively in 2015/16, the statistics look very encouraging in regard to the prospects for Chelsea’s new front man.
Given that the Blues are expected to improve considerably under Conte after last season’s disastrous tenth-placed finish, and with Batshuayi likely to play a significant role in that transformation, the Belgian international looks likely to be priced in the low, premium price bracket in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), perhaps at around 9.5 to 10.5.
Chelsea Fantasy assets could be in high demand as we formulate our 15-man squads given their pretty favourable start (WHM, wat, BUR, swa) to the campaign. While hopes are high for both Hazard and members of the Blues’ rearguard to return to form this season, Batshuayi looks to have the ability to make an immediate impact in the Premier League.
The Belgian was involved in 54% of Marseille’s goals last year, and while he still needs to work on his link up play, that tally of nine assists in the French top-flight indicates he already has a good appreciation for where to find his team-mates.
The added appeal of owning any Chelsea player this season is the fact they’ll have no European football to distract them from domestic matters, while rotation should be far less of a concern. Should Batshuayi show signs during pre-season that he looks ready to make the step up from Ligue 1 to the Premier League immediately, expect the forward to have plenty of suitors as we begin the 2016/17 campaign.
