Borussia Dortmund do not have buy-option on Michy Batshuayi, confirms CEO

Michy Batshuayi is off to a tremendous start at Borussia Dortmund, scoring three times and collecting an assist as well in his first two games for the Black-and-yellows. The 24-year-old has fit in almost immediately since arriving on loan in the final days of the January transfer window, picking up exactly where Arsenal new boy Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left off, and even recreating Auba’s famous backflip celebration this weekend. It goes without saying that the eminently likable Michy is already a fan favorite in Dortmund, just as he was (and is) in West London.

When Batshuayi’s six-month loan move was confirmed, conflicting reports emerged about any potential buy-option that the two teams may or may not have agreed. Reports in England said no, reports in Germany said otherwise. After a couple weeks of uncertainty, Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has confirmed that there is no buy-option: “We tried our best to get a permanent option for Michy Batshuayi, but it was a no go for Chelsea. When Roman Abramovich says ‘no’, it is a ‘no’”. Tough to argue with that!

Here’s HLN’s Kristof Terreur, who was one of the leading sources to deny the existence of a buy-option from the very beginning, with the news.

While this doesn’t rule out a potential deal in the summer (either a loan extension or a transfer), it does confirm that Chelsea continue to see Batshuayi as an option for the future. With multiple movable pieces in play with regards to that, especially concerning the current head coach, this is the smart move on the club’s part. Conte gets his type of striker without mortgaging the future, BVB get their Auba replacement at least for the rest of the season, and Batshuayi gets a chance to prove himself ahead of the World Cup. A win-win-win.

Michy & Co will next be in action against Atalanta on Thursday in the Europa League Round of 32, after being chosen as the exception by BVB for their squad registration. UEFA allow teams to register three new players in January, with one of the three still eligible even if he had already played in a European competition for another team.