Michy Batshuayi joins Besiktas on loan from Chelsea

Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi has completed a loan move to Besiktas for the duration of the 2021/22 season, making it his fifth loan away from Stamford Bridge since 2017.

Batshuayi spent last season at Crystal Palace, which his second spell with the Eagles after a loan in the second half of the 2018/19 campaign. He has also been at Borussia Dortmund, where he scored seven goals in ten Bundesliga appearances, and Valencia.

Having played 24 times for his parent club in 2019/20, the Belgian’s prospects of playing time at Chelsea diminished following the signings of Timo Werner and Kai Havertz last summer.

The Blues have also since added Romelu Lukaku to their ranks, a £97.5m club record transfer which prompted the sale of Tammy Abraham to Roma for £34m this week.

Besiktas initially teased Batshuayi's arrival to the club with a tweet that simply read ‘Batsman Rises’, referring to his nickname. He will have the chance to resurrect his career in Turkey, having not scored more than ten league goals in a season since his departure from Marseille in 2016.

The 27-year-old has remained a talented and capable striker, but a lack of consistent playing time has held him back. He has continued to be a regular pick for Belgium, despite his less than stellar club record in recent years, and was part of the squad at Euro 2020 this summer.

Besiktas are reigning Turkish champions after securing their first Super Lig title since 2017 last season. It means Batshuayi will be playing at a high level in the Champions League, as Turkey is guaranteed a place in the competition’s group stage for its champions.

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