Newly promoted Nottingham Forest are set to sign out-of-favour Chelsea star Michy Batshuayi.
According to Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, newly promoted Nottingham Forest have reached an agreement with Chelsea for Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi.
The 28-year-old has failed to make a mark at Stamford Bridge and has made just 77 appearances for the club since joining them in 2016. While his return of 25 goals and six assists isn’t the worst, Batshuayi failed to show much development and lacked the cutting edge upfront.
He, in fact, spent five different spells out on loan, the latest coming at Turkish side Besiktas in the 2021-22 season. While the Belgian was included in Chelsea’s pre-season trip to the United States, he failed to make the most of it, and is now set to move on.
Batshuayi is now set to become Forest’s 20th signing of the summer and will hope for better luck at the City Ground. Forest have been in negotiations with Chelsea, and the deal is almost done. With just hours left for the summer transfer window to slam shut, an announcement appears imminent.
The move is a win-win for all parties involved. Chelsea, despite losing Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner, showed little inclination to put their faith in Batshuayi. With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang closing in on a move to the club, the Belgian would have found himself lower down the pecking order. With Armando Broja and Kai Havertz also capable of leading the line, the 28-year-old would have been the fourth-choice striker at Stamford Bridge.
Forest have found the back of the net just twice this season and could do with a clinical presence in attack. Taiwo Awoniyi and Emmanuel Dennis are both talented youngsters but lack the proper experience in the English top flight. Batshuayi, on the other hand, has enough in his locker to make a telling difference.
The Belgian will also be keen to impress Roberto Martinez ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. His international compatriots Divock Origi and Lukaku have both moved to Milan clubs in search of regular playtime, and staying on the bench at Stamford Bridge would have left Batshuayi further behind. He now has an opportunity to not just make a difference at the City Ground but also resurrect his international career.
