Chelsea Transfer News: Michy Batshuayi Medical Amid Spurs Interest, Top Rumours

Marseille forward Michy Batshuayi is reportedly set to have a medical at Chelsea ahead of a £33.2 million transfer. 

That’s according to Dominic Fifield of the Guardian, who said the Blues "have acted with ruthless efficiency” to get a transfer done ahead of West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Juventus. Per Simon Jones of the MailOnline, Tottenham Hotspur were also said to be interested in signing the striker.

“The 22-year-old is expected to be granted special dispensation to leave the Belgium squad, preparing for Friday’s quarter-final against Wales in Lille, and undertake a medical day before signing a five-year contract with Chelsea,” added Fifield.

Here is a look at why incoming manager Antonio Conte has moved quickly to secure the services of one of the game’s brightest young goalscorers:

As noted in the piece, Juve and West Ham have both previously made offers for the striker, while Palace had a bid accepted by the Ligue 1 side’s president. It’s suggested Batshuayi had “reservations” about moving to the Eagles, and the prospect of a switch to Stamford Bridge “turned his head.”

Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe thinks a move to the Blues is a lot more logical than a switch to Crystal Palace:

Should this deal go through, Batshuayi would join his compatriots Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois at Chelsea. He would add dynamism, power and pace to the point of the attack, as well as a knack for putting the ball in the back of the net; he scored 17 times in a struggling Marseille outfit in 2015-16.

While Diego Costa was short of his best last term, he’s the only forward on the club’s books that looked capable of cutting it in the Premier League, with Loic Remy, Radamel Falcao and Alexandre Pato struggling. Batshuayi has shown enough during his time in Marseille to suggest he’s capable of shining.

Chelsea Set for Sofiane Boufal Talks

According to Ed Aarons of the Guardian, Chelsea are one of three Premier League clubs that will hold talks with Sofiane Boufal's agent to discuss a transfer.

Aarons posted the news on Twitter, with the Lille man also said to have caught the eye of Arsenal and Southampton:

The 22-year-old shone for the French outfit in 2015-16, operating on the flanks or behind the centre-forward. Boufal netted 11 times in total and also bagged four assists.

Here is a look at some of the best of them:

In terms of natural talent, the Moroccan is almost unrivalled in the French top flight. Boufal is at ease with the ball at his feet, able to twist, turn and nimbly dance his way past defenders. As the figures show, he has also proved he has an end product to complement his superb technical skills.

As these numbers from WhoScored.com illustrate, Boufal loves to commit opposition defenders:

If he moves to Chelsea, there will be a lot he needs to improve on. Conte is a manager that demands his players show commitment off the ball, tactical discipline and a willingness to be physical when the situation demands. Boufal can make positive changes in all of those areas.

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The youngster would surely relish the chance to refine these traits in his game, though, and the opportunity to work under the Italian could be appealing to him. However, given the wealth of options Chelsea have in attacking midfield in players such as Hazard, Oscar, Willian and Pedro, Boufal will have consider his options carefully before settling on a move to Stamford Bridge.