Will Michy Batshuayi hit the ground running with Chelsea next season?

Whilst the vast majority of his Belgium teammates once again failed to set the international scene alight throughout Euro 2016 this summer, Michy Batshuayi was one player who certainly seemed to impress out on the pitch in France.

 

The former Marseille striker may have barely featured much for Belgium truth be told, but after getting his name on the score-sheet against the Hungarians and subsequently serving to excite whenever given the opportunity to shine at Euro 2016, the 22-year-old front-man clearly put himself in the shop window for a succession of top-flight teams to consider this summer.

 

Several Premier League outfits went on to register a significant interest in the striker once Belgium had been handed their marching orders from the competition by a rather efficient Welsh outfit – and whilst each of West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Liverpool reportedly fancied themselves for the big man’s signature – Chelsea ultimately stole a march on the rest of their competition with the wealth of resources on offer behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge.

 

But will Antonio Conte’s massive £33 million gamble on the Belgian international really pay off throughout the upcoming 2016/17 domestic campaign?

 

€40m for Batshuayi. €36m for Kante. The surgery on the Chelsea squad has just begun.

— p. (@fpasha10) 16 July 2016

 

I reckon Batshuayi could be a class player for Chelsea

— Uber Chelsea FC (@UberCheIseaFC) 22 July 2016

 

According to most, the answer could well be – yes. Batshuayi certainly remains something of a powerful and explosive striker even if his overall technicality may still admittedly leave much to be desired. When it comes to asserting his physicality inside the final third and playing himself through in front of goal in the process, Chelsea’s latest big money signing definitely seems to resemble something close to the real deal.

 

Michy Batshuayi is hungry, effective and young enough to make a real name for himself among the Premier League in the not too distant future. He should therefore serve to oust Diego Costa from Stamford Bridge in rather unceremonious fashion truth be told, and could even go on to emulate the achievements of Didier Drogba at Chelsea if fate shines favourably on the former Ligue 1 favourite.

 

The current Belgian international could theoretically struggle to do the business among the English top-flight initially next season however, for although the 22-year-old front-man certainly arrives rather highly rated from France, his form in front of goal throughout the tail end of last term was anything but successful for Marseille.

 

Ex-Leicester City title-winner – N’Golo Kante – should subsequently represent more of a risk-free capture for the Blues within the grand scheme of things. Yet as Michy Batshuayi is arguably yet to reach his full potential in front of goal for his respective manager right in the here and now, perhaps Chelsea could indeed be looking at the ‘new Didier Drogba’ in this £33 million man after all!