Michy Batshuayi rejects Club Brugge — report

Michy Batshuayi’s future at Chelsea, or lack thereof to be exact, is basically a foregone conclusion at this point. (Almost) completely ostracized from the matchday squads since the Restart, his last in a disappointing string of performances for the club came all the way back on the final day of February. It’s hard to see his situation changing anytime soon, especially with both Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud in good scoring form and Timo Werner coming in.

Batshuayi’s contract expires in 2021, but transfer interest has been lacking — partly because of his form, partly because of his wages, and partly because of Chelsea’s silly €40m asking price. West Ham were said to be interested at one point, but have rejected him as part of a package for Declan Rice. One of his former loan clubs, Crystal Palace, had been the only other team reportedly interested.

Of course, another factor that could explain the absence of interested sides could be Michy’s own personal ambitions as well. For example, according to Nieuwsblad, Belgian top flight outfit Club Brugge inquired about the situation recently, with a view towards a potential summer move. However, Batshuayi has apparently rejected that idea out of hand, and would not want to return to his home country even if Brugge met his and Chelsea’s financial demands.

Batshuayi, who will turn 27 later this year, still wants to continue playing in England or another top league and has the self-belief to be optimistic that his ambitions of making it at the highest level are not over yet.

However, at a certain point, one needs to be realistic about their career prospects. In this case, Michy also needs to comprehend that the market will not be the same this summer due to the pandemic. While he still has all the tools to play in a “top-5” league, he will likely have to settle for a move to a “lesser league” — or watching the Chelsea games from the stands or his bedroom for a full season.