Who Is Michy Batshuayi and What Would He Bring to Borussia Dortmund?

Despite the fact that the current campaign is far from over—which is especially true for Borussia Dortmund, who are still in contention for silverware in three competitions—silly season is already upon us.

Not a week goes by without a new report linking one of the Black and Yellows' star performers to another European superpower. Just last week, reports claimed midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan had decided to sign for both Juventus and Arsenal, but also to extend his contract at Signal Iduna Park, as sporting director Michael Zorc jokingly pointed out in German magazine Kicker's Monday edition.

Every rumour has to be taken with a grain of salt these days. That includes the less frequent ones about additions Dortmund could make in the summer.

One such report from tabloid Bild (link in German) has linked the Ruhr side with Olympique de Marseille forward Michy Batshuayi. If Dortmund are indeed interested in the 22-year-old Belgian, it would be for the second time.

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According to multiple reports in Germany, including from local paper Ruhr Nachrichten, the Black and Yellows were after the signature of Batshuayi back in 2013, when he played at Standard Liege.

Seeing as he called Dortmund one of his "dream clubs in Europe" at the time in an interview with Belgian paper Het Laatste Nieuws (h/t Kristof Terreur of Sky Sports), this rumour might not be as far-fetched as some others.

It'd be understandable if Dortmund were trying to capture Batshuayi's signature in the summer. He is one of the most exciting young central forwards in the game, with an intriguing mixture of athleticism, power, technique and a knack for goals.

Scoring 14 goals and assisting another nine in 31 league matches, per Transfermarkt.co.uk, Batshuayi is one of the lone bright spots for a struggling Marseille side that sits 13th in the Ligue 1 and will not qualify for Europe next season—they're actually closer to the relegation spots.

With the club having lost or sold players such as Andre Ayew, Giannelli Imbula, Andre-Pierre Gignac and Dimitry Payet, the onus was on Batshuayi to produce the goods this season. On a personal level, he has done just that. 

Having only turned 22 in October, 14 league goals and another four in seven UEFA Europa League matches are an impressive tally. The video below shows that Batshuayi scores his goals in a number of ways. Two-footed and strong in the air despite standing at only 182 cm, he has the tools to become a deadly finisher. 

He certainly has the quality to play for a club like Dortmund. Will he, though?

As we detailed in this earlier piece, the Black and Yellows could well look for a younger back-up for star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabonese isn't going anywhere this summer, having signed a new deal last July without a release clause until 2020.

It still feels like his departure is a matter of when, not if, though. Dortmund need to prepare themselves for this better than they did for the departure of Robert Lewandowski in 2014.

Signing a young central forward such as Batshuayi, who could get up to speed as a back-up in his first year and take on a more prominent role in 2017, for example, would be shrewd business.

PATRIK STOLLARZ/Getty Images

However, it's unlikely the Black and Yellows would engage in a bidding war for the services of the Belgium international. 

That could well be on the cards with Batshuayi having signed a contract extension until 2020 earlier this year, per Ed Aarons of the Guardian. Marseille won't sell their most prized assets cheaply, and Dortmund would likely face stiff competition from Premier League clubs.

The Telegraph recently reported that West Ham United have made the 22-year-old their "top summer target" but also claimed they "face considerable competition for his signature—not least from rivals Tottenham Hotspur."

If English clubs open their warchests bulging from the incoming TV money, Dortmund are unlikely to compete. Unless Aubameyang leaves the club in a shocking twist, it seems as though Batshuayi and the Black and Yellows are a great match that will not come to fruition this summer.

Lars Pollmann is a Featured Columnist writing on Borussia Dortmund. He also writes for YellowWallPod.com. You can follow him on Twitter.