Michy Batshuayi a risk worth taking for Antonio Conte’s younger, fresher Chelsea

Chelsea have had a mixed relationship with strikers. Their best forwards have been the epitome of the title-winning teams they fired to...

Chelsea have had a mixed relationship with strikers. Their best forwards have been the epitome of the title-winning teams they fired to glory, while their many duds have represented the very worst of the Premier League’s often reckless excess.

Didier Drogba personified the relentless, unstoppably bruising side that dominated domestically when Jose Mourinho first arrived, while Diego Costa was the conniving and volatile villain that encapsulated the win-at-all-costs pragmatism of the self-proclaimed Special One’s second stint in charge. But for every roaring success there have been twice as many failures.

The early years of Roman Abramovich’s reign saw the Russian billionaire flirt with countless big names who struggled terribly to live up to their billing. Andriy Shevchenko, Hernan Crespo, Fernando Torres and more arrived with huge reputations that were ultimately reduced to tatters by the time they had left, while, more recently, the West Londoners have been scraping around in the star-studded bargain buckets more usually reserved for MLS.

Drogba, now at Montreal, returned for a second spell, Samuel Eto’o’s most notable contribution was a barb-filled celebration and South American flops Alexandre Pato and Radamel Falcao have spent most of their time merely watching from the sidelines.

But the decision to move for Michy Batshuayi marks a turning point. Some might consider it a damning indication of the club’s current standing, now bereft of European football of course, that the first signing of Antonio Conte’s reign is a player most rigorously pursued by Crystal Palace and of whom so many question marks still exist.

A temperamental character, he was kicked out of the Anderlecht academy for bad behaviour in his youth, while often in the games Marseille needed him most – specifically a period at the turn of the year when he scored one goal in 816 minutes – he had a habit of going missing.
That is to be expected of young players, though. They are more susceptible to dips in form and confidence than most, especially at a side like Marseille where the experienced talismen that would usually guide the next generation are routinely sold off each summer.

There is a certain irony, though, that just six months after Mourinho was axed Chelsea should bring in a player that is almost the antithesis of what he desires in a player. It was the Portuguese coach who was unwilling to put his time, and trust, into developing Romelu Lukaku, now his even younger understudy for the Belgian national team will wear blue while Mourinho chases the 34-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Batshuayi's 2015/16 league stats

Goals – 17
Assists – 9
Shots – 122
Chances created – 27
Passes per game – 18
Pass success – 75%

And that is the key point: Batshuayi is not the finished article. He will require work and coaching from Conte, a manager historically far more willing to mould players. At present, the Belgian can be a little ponderous on the ball with his back to goal, he lacks searing pace or the kind of physical, brute strength that allowed Drogba – and a now fully formed, fully firing Lukaku – to bully Premier League defenders.
He is, however, a well-rounded footballer with a knack for scoring goals and feels tailor-made for the top-flight of English football; strong but agile, a powerful build with a deft first touch, and a composed, inventive finisher.

He scored 17 goals in a side that finished 13th in Ligue 1 last season, an admirable haul that was only bettered by four players. Perhaps more significantly, and testament to his ability to form part of a cohesive, intelligent attack, he also registered nine assists – only three players recorded more.

The year previous, as cover for Andre-Pierre Gignac, he scored a goal every 125 minutes in his role as an impact sub, which bodes well should Conte look to ease him in slowly. He also excels alongside a second striker (Steven Fletcher in the second half of last season), and his potential partnership with Costa in Conte’s preferred 3-5-2 formation could make the Graziano Pelle-Eder combo that is taking Euro 2016 by storm look positively one dimensional by comparison.

Rather reigniting the infamous Battle of the Bridge, Chelsea have also beaten off competition from Tottenham to sign a forward ‘with a lot of talent’ and ‘great potential’, as Mauricio Pochettino describes him. The Argentine coach, once of PSG, has spoken of Ligue 1 as an excellent breeding ground for Premier League-suited players (the best two signings of last summer – N’Golo Kante and Dimitri Payet – both came from France).

And Chelsea will be hoping Batshuayi can adapt to Premier League football just as quickly as the players in whom’s footsteps he follows. But if he is to become the next Drogba, rather than another failed starlet on Chelsea’s heaving scrap heap of youth talent, then Conte must give him time to develop.