Michy Batshuayi
From TheChels.info - The Chelsea Football Club Wiki
| Michy Batshuayi | |
| |
| Full Name | Michy Batshuayi Tunga |
| Date of Birth | 2 October 1993 |
| Place of Birth | Brussels, Belgium |
| Position | Striker |
| Chelsea career | 2016 – 2022 |
| Debut | 15 August 2016 |
| Games (goals) | 77 (25) |
| Other clubs | Standard Liège Olympique de Marseille Borussia Dortmund (loan) Valencia (loan) Crystal Palace (loan) Besiktas (loan) Fenerbahce Galatasaray Eintracht Frankfurt |
Michy Batshuayi is a Belgian international striker who played for Chelsea from 2016 to 2022.
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Chelsea career
2016–17 Season
Batshuayi joined Chelsea in July 2016 from Marseille for £33 million. Despite being primarily used as a backup to Diego Costa, he made key contributions off the bench. His most iconic moment came in May 2017, when he scored the winning goal against West Bromwich Albion that clinched the Premier League title for Chelsea with two games to spare. He also scored in both domestic cups and finished the season with a solid goal-per-minute ratio. While limited to substitute appearances, his enthusiasm and impact were evident in key moments.
2017–18 Season
In the first half of the season, Batshuayi filled in for Álvaro Morata and scored several important goals, including a brace against Watford and a late winner against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League. Despite his form, he struggled to convince Conte and was loaned to Borussia Dortmund in January. At Dortmund, he hit the ground running, scoring 9 goals in 14 appearances before a season-ending injury. Meanwhile, Chelsea won the FA Cup, though Batshuayi was no longer with the squad for the final.
Loans to Valencia and Crystal Palace
Batshuayi returned from his loan at Dortmund but did not feature prominently under new manager Maurizio Sarri. He was loaned to Valencia in Spain, where he struggled to make an impact. In January 2019, he switched to Crystal Palace, scoring 6 goals in 13 appearances and showing improved form. However, Chelsea’s season went on without him, as they secured a top-four finish and a Europa League title, with Batshuayi not eligible due to his loan.
2019–20 Season
With Chelsea under a transfer ban and Lampard promoting youth, Batshuayi stayed at the club as a backup striker to Tammy Abraham. He often featured in cup competitions and made sporadic league appearances, mostly off the bench. Notably, he scored the winning goal away at Ajax in the Champions League and netted in EFL Cup and FA Cup ties. Despite some flashes of quality, he remained a fringe player, and speculation about his long-term future began to intensify.
Loans to Crystal Palace and Besiktas
Batshuayi was loaned to Crystal Palace for a second stint, as Chelsea had signed Timo Werner and brought back other attacking options. He struggled to replicate his earlier success, scoring just 2 goals in 20 Premier League appearances. At Chelsea, he did not make a single competitive appearance during the season, and though Chelsea won the Champions League, Batshuayi was not part of the squad list.
Still under contract with Chelsea, Batshuayi spent the season on loan at Beşiktaş in Turkey, where he enjoyed a more productive spell, scoring 14 goals in 42 matches. His only Chelsea appearance came in the EFL Cup before he left on loan. While his Chelsea involvement was effectively over, he remained officially part of the club until the following summer.
Statistics
- See also: List of Michy Batshuayi goals
| Season | Club | Prem | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| 2016-17 | 20 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 9 | |
| 2017-18 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 10 | |
| 2019-20 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 6 | |
| Total | 48 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 77 | 25 | |
- Correct as of the end of the 2019-20 season"
International
Michy Batshuayi, though eligible to play for DR Congo through his parents, committed to Belgium in March 2015, citing pride in his Congolese roots but a preference to represent his birth nation. He made an immediate impact on his debut later that month, scoring shortly after coming on in a Euro 2016 qualifier against Cyprus. He was included in the squad for Euro 2016 and scored with his first touch in the last-16 win over Hungary.
Batshuayi continued to contribute in World Cup qualifiers, scoring in a 4–3 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, and was named in Belgium’s squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. There, he scored in the group stage against Tunisia. Despite a challenging club season in 2021, he was selected for the delayed Euro 2020 tournament. He also made the 2022 World Cup squad, scoring Belgium’s only goal in their opening match against Canada, though the team was eliminated in the group stage.
Honours
- Chelsea
