Batshuayi wants to return to Chelsea a better player next season

For many, having a player of Michy Batshuayi’s calibre, skill, reputation, and value out on loan is a travesty, especially when neither Álvaro Morata nor Olivier Giroud are pouring in the goals back at home, and there is no third striker in the squad after Tammy Abraham changed is mind about staying at the end of August. At 24 years of age, Batshuayi has little to prove after excelling on loan at Borussia Dortmund, and he’s surely good enough to play for most of the world’s top teams at this point.

With Valencia, Batshuayi can now claim to have experienced four of Europe’s top five leagues — Serie A in Italy is the only one missing — and fittingly for his sunny disposition and winning personality, he’s putting a positive spin on the constant changes of scenery.

“It’s a bit strange, but cool at the same time. I’ve travelled and experienced life in a bunch of different countries, been able to see what football is like here, there and everywhere. I’ve got a lot of good out of it.”

Perhaps a bit more surprisingly, Batshuayi has yet to sour on the Chelsea experience. In fact, believing that actions speak louder than words, he’s looking to use his time at Valencia to impress the decision-makers back at Chelsea.

“I haven’t spoken to them, not at all. That’s something for my agent and Chelsea to take care of — but I’ve not spoken to the club or Sarri.

“No [I’m not looking for a permanent move]. I’ve so much respect for Chelsea and I love them.”

“This loan is important for my development, to show how good I am so that I can go back to Chelsea a better player. Everyone knows there’s real emphasis on technique in La Liga and I’m a technical player; in that sense it’s a good fit. But all leagues are a good fit for me — I can play anywhere. Germany and England were good fits too.”

Regardless of what happens in the future — and certainly, there should be room for the Batsman at Got...Cob-ham with Giroud not getting younger and Morata not getting better — Batshuayi’s already etched his name into Chelsea history by scoring the league-winning goal for Conte’s Blues back in 2016-17. He even managed to score 18 other goals for Chelsea in a season and a half despite barely playing meaningful minutes!

“Initially it was difficult for me. I was a young guy arriving at such a huge club, a changing room filled with stars. Fortunately I had Eden [Hazard] and [Thibaut] Courtois who took me under their wing and explained how things were done. They helped me integrate and feel at home.”

“I had some really, really tough times and some amazing times too. Moments like scoring the goal to win the league are incredible and stay etched into your memory for ever.”

-Michy Batshuayi; source: The Times

Hopefully that won’t be the last meaningful contribution he makes in a Chelsea shirt.

See you next season, Michy!

P.S.: In case we need a reminder of Michy’s adorable public and social media personality, here he is talking about becoming a meme from the summer’s World Cup.

“I was just so happy that Adnan Januzaj had scored. I was following the ball in and it ended up at my feet, so I decided to smash it. It rebounded so, so hard. It was painful and [my face] had to be iced for two or three days.

“It killed — but it was funny, and if it made people laugh, then all the better. All I could do was make a joke out of it.”

A player with an eye for goal who just wants to make his fans happy. What’s not to love?