Chelsea agree to a £33.2million deal with Marseille for striker Michy Batshuayi

Michy-Batshuayi

Antonio Conte is on the verge of his first signing since becoming Chelsea’s new manager after the club had agreed to a £33.2million deal with Marseille for striker Michy Batshuayi.

Although Conte will not be in charge until he finishes his post as Italy’s head coach at Euro 2016, he has given his approval for the move for Batshuayi on Tuesday afternoon.

The quick decision came after rival Crystal Palace made a £31.6m bid for the 22-year-old, which was accepted by Marseille’s president on Monday.

Several clubs were after Batshuayi including Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United. Having scored in Belgium’s 4-0 victory over Hungary at Euro 2016, Batshuayi is now preparing for Friday’s quarter-final against Wales.

With 17 goals in Ligue 1 this season under his belt, Batshuayi will become the most expensive sale in Marseille’s history, surpassing Didier Drogba’s fee when selling him to Chelsea in 2004.

By Matt

Matt is the owner and chief-editor of the Footy Blog, one of the UK's leading football news blogs.