Michy Batshuayi not suited to Everton system under Frank Lampard despite Chelsea history
Michy Batshuayi doesn’t look to be the answer at striker for Everton because he doesn’t suit Frank Lampard’s system, Sacha Tavolieri reports.
The Belgian international has been linked to a Toffees move this summer, with a Chelsea exit almost certain and his former Stamford Bridge boss in desperate need of help up front.
But despite that history together he is apparently not an option to plug the gap left by Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury, and only partly filled by Salomon Rondon, so may instead be headed elsewhere in the Premier League.
Eurosport France journalist Tavolieri wrote on his Twitter account on Tuesday (23 August): “About the possible arrival of Michy Batshuayi to EvertonFC:
“Been told the system setup by Franck [sic] Lampard would not suit the player’s football well.
“Leeds & Newcastle could be other solutions until the end of transfer window. Chelsea leaning towards a definitive sale.”
Closed
They may have spent time together in west London but it is actually not that much of a surprise that he’s not a consideration considering how much game time Lampard gave the 28-year-old.
Although the well-travelled striker scored four in four in the cup competitions in 2019/20, he was only given 224 league minutes across 16 appearances [Transfermarkt], scoring once, as the manager saw him a distant third option behind Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud.
The fact that Batshuayi has so rarely been given a chance at Chelsea, makes that season seem like one of his best at the club, but compared to the success he has had on loan elsewhere it was another frustrating year.
Goodison News pundit Kevin Campbell felt that the player has shown he can score goals and deserves a break, making an Everton move a possible solution, but it appears that won’t now be happening.
He scored five times in just 11 Premier League appearances for Crystal Palace, and seven in 10 in the Bundesliga for Dortmund, while a full season as a main option last year with Besiktas saw him net 14 and assist five in 34 Turkish Super Lig outings.
That shows he has quality, and were he to start week in week out at Goodison he would appear to be a stronger option that Rondon, especially when he is certain to be available.
But if Lampard doesn’t rate him and he would just be another player sat on the bench eating up wages it is probably the right decision not to go for a deal.
However, if Everton struggle to get the right target in before the close of the window and he ends up elsewhere in the top flight scoring goals it would be a tough one to stomach.