Michy Batshuayi Completes Loan Move to Crystal Palace from Chelsea

Crystal Palace confirmed the loan signing of Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi on Thursday, with the Belgium international joining until the end of the season.

The club relayed the news of Batshuayi's move from Stamford Bridge.

"This is a fantastic signing for Crystal Palace," chairman Steve Parish said. "Michy is a player we've long admired, and I'm delighted that we've finally managed to get him in a red and blue shirt. He will be a magnificent addition to our squad."

Batshuayi, 25, joined Chelsea from Marseille in July 2016 for £33.1 million. Despite his significant price tag, he has never nailed down a first-team spot at Stamford Bridge.

He does nevertheless boast an impressive minutes-per-goal ratio for Chelsea in the English top flight, as Squawka Football highlighted:

In the second half of last season, he enjoyed an impressive loan spell at Borussia Dortmund, scoring seven goals in 10 Bundesliga appearances before picking up an injury.

Batshuayi was sent out on loan again back in August, this time to Valencia. It did not go as well as his move to Dortmund, though, as the La Liga side terminated the loan in early January after he failed to make much of an impact.

That aside, it seems clear Batshuayi could thrive in the right environment. He has always come up with goals when he has been given opportunities at Chelsea, whether it be in the league or in cup competitions.

Further, he was brilliant in the short time he was fully fit at Dortmund.

The striker will likely be handed a lot more game time at Crystal Palace, and that should allow him to improve and potentially return to Chelsea ready to fight for a first-team place.

As for Palace, they have snapped up a striker of enormous potential with a lot to prove.