What can Chelsea expect from Marseille striker Michy Batshuayi?

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Chelsea look set to make their first summer signing of the window with a £33 million bid launched for Belgium and Olympique Marseille front-man Michy Batshuayi.

Rumours suggest that he has passed a medical earlier this week after being granted permission to leave Belgium’s Euro 2016 training camp, so what exactly would Batshuayi bring to Stamford Bridge?

Comparisons between the imminent new recruit and a Chelsea great in Didier Drogba have not been slow to emerge, much like former Chelsea forward; and Belgian team-mate, Romelu Lukaku. As two players that have excelled in the Premier League era, this certainly bodes well for Chelsea fans, and his style of play is suited exactly to the fast-paced, tough physical game that is English football.

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One of the main scepticisms surrounding the move is the fact that Chelsea haven’t had to beat the top sides to secure his signature but in fact, slightly lesser London clubs in Tottenham, West Ham and Crystal Palace. So, what can he bring that is fit for a title challenging side and not someone vying for Europa League football?

Well, as anyone will know from having seen just a minute of him play, he is a very physical forward, but has more to his game than just that. Strong on both sides, Batshuayi doesn’t have a weaker foot and it causes defenders nightmares purely because he can go either way.

This is easy to say for a striker, but his finishing is his strongest point. Although he does make the wrong decision over when to shoot and when to pass on a number of occasions, if you put him through on goal, nine times out of ten he won’t miss. Going hand-in-hand with the fact that a strong forward, he has the aerial ability to match, despite being just under six foot.

Notching 17 goals in Ligue 1 last season – and 25 across all competitions – in a notably poor Marseille side, Batshuayi’s goal return looks a hundred times better when you realise that he was partnered for the last six months of the season by Sunderland man Steven Fletcher.

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Nine assists across that period prove to me that he is not just a finisher, in fact possessing a great understanding of the team too. He was labelled with attitude issues during his Standard Liege times as a youngster, but he appears to have pushed them aside now. This is fortunate for the Stamford Bridge outfit, for in Diego Costa, they already have a striker with a short fuse.

A slight negative is that because of his all-physical style of play, he likes to play up front alone, without a strike partner. If the rumours are to believed, Chelsea’s new manager, Antonio Conte, is looking to implement the 3-5-2 formation that he has perfected during his time at Juventus and currently the Italian national team. This would in turn force Batshuayi to link with someone; most likely Diego Costa, who are two similar players in their own rights.

He can be a frustrating player, as his decision making ability hasn’t caught up with his finishing ability just yet. This results in him making the wrong decision when to pass and when to shoot, and it can result in him coming across as a selfish player. That certainly did not go down well at Stamford Bridge when Daniel Sturridge tried it.

I see no reason as to why Michy Batshuayi can’t be a hit in the Premier League in the years to come. The fee is inflated, as is almost every transfer sum in today’s market, and so of course it comes with a standard large gamble, but it’s one I think the Belgian can live up to.

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Having played in two ‘lesser’ leagues, he now has a chance to prove himself in one of; if not the best, leagues in the world. He will not lack self-confidence and charisma, so he should feel right at home at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea have paid more for the potential with Batshuayi than what he will bring straight away, but they have enjoyed success with a handful of Belgians in the last few years. There is no reason why he cannot join that list.