Monday 4 July 2016 15:14, UK
Michy Batshuayi has joined Chelsea from Ligue 1 club Marseille.
Batshuayi, who played at Euro 2016 for Belgium, had been linked with a host of clubs after scoring 17 goals in Ligue 1 last season.
The 22-year-old attracted offers from West Ham and Crystal Palace, while Belgium team-mate Toby Alderweireld said that he hoped Batshuayi would join him at Tottenham next season.
But instead he has become Antonio Conte's first signing at Chelsea.
How will he fit in under Conte at Stamford Bridge next season? Here, we take a look...
Factfile
Name: Michy Batshuayi
Age: 22
Nationality: Belgian
Position: Striker
Background
Nicknamed "Batsman", Batshuayi is of Congolese origin, but was born and raised in Brussels. He made his first-team debut at Standard Liege aged 18, before going on to score 39 goals in 97 Belgian Pro League games during a three-year spell, including 21 in his final season.
His impressive form earned him a £4.5m move to Marseille in July 2014 where he has since scored 33 goals in 78 appearances.
Style of play
Batshuayi can use both feet and his dribbling ability has left defences all over France in tatters. He may be only 5ft 11in, but he possesses the upper-body strength to win physical battles with centre-halves. His style has drawn comparisons with another Stade Velodrome and Chelsea favourite - Didier Drogba.
The Belgium international ghosts in behind unsuspecting backlines and his ability to bring others into play makes him the ideal focal point up top.
Where will he fit in?
Since Jose Mourinho's arrival at the club in 2004, Chelsea have notoriously struggled to accommodate more than one top striker at the club at any one time.
First, there were problems in trying to fit Andriy Shevchenko alongside Drogba, followed by a similar issue with Fernando Torres a few years later.
Diego Costa is the main man at Stamford Bridge now, and has played pretty much exclusively as a lone striker since arriving in 2014. He did, however, play for several years at Atletico Madrid alongside another forward (Radamel Falcao or David Villa) and he certainly possesses the skill-set to do so again.
New boss Antonio Conte is also not afraid to deploy a system containing two strikers, and did so to good effect with Italy at Euro 2016. He set his team out in a 3-5-2 formation, a system he also implemented during his time at Juventus.
Chelsea are not in Europe next season, meaning they could have as few as 40 games to play, so keeping two first-choice strikers happy would not be easy. As a pairing, though, Costa and Batshuayi's blend of power and pace could prove devastating in the Premier League.
Would Conte go two up top?
While setting Chelsea out in a 3-5-2 formation would suit the prospect of Costa playing alongside Batshuayi, it would lead to problems in other areas of the pitch.
In particular, it may be difficult for Willian - Chelsea's top performer last season - and Eden Hazard to easily adapt to a system that would see them either pushed too centrally or too far back on the flanks.
And unless there is significant recruitment in defence, it may be too late in the day for John Terry, Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic to get used to a three-man backline.
Verdict
Not since the 2009/10 season have Chelsea possessed two genuinely reliable strikers to score goals - then it was Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.
Batshuayi could be both a partner to Costa and provide a genuine alternative, which would not only help keep the Spain international on his toes but also add another string to Chelsea's offensive bow.
Wait, how do you pronounce his name?
Repeat after me... Mi-shee Bat-sh-wah-yee.
Will Michy Batshuayi be a good signing for Chelsea? Leave a comment if you're reading on skysports.com or tweet us @SkyFootball...
