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Chelsea's forgotten man Michy Batshuayi gives cryptic hint over transfer exit
Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi looks set to leave the club after five years
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Michy Batshuayi appears to be on his way out of Chelsea after cryptically hinting he is on his way to Turkish side Besiktas on Twitter - in a move that would put an end to his five-year spell at the west London club.
Batshuayi, 27, signed for Chelsea for £33.2million from French side Marseille after an eye-catching Euro 2016 campaign for Belgium.
Fellow London sides West Ham and Crystal Palace reportedly made bids for him that summer, but with big guns Chelsea calling, there was only one final destination Batshuayi would end up at.
However, chances were limited at Stamford Bridge as a result of the world-class form of Diego Costa, and Batshuayi was shipped out on loan.
His career at Chelsea was typified by loan deals; a temporary switch to Borussia Dortmund saw the Belgian become a fan favourite with 9 goals in just 14 games.
A loan to Valencia and two loans to Crystal Palace unfortunately saw him never get his Chelsea career up and running.
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And following the club breaking the British transfer record this summer with the signing of Romelu Lukaku, Batshuayi has been told he can leave permanently by Thomas Tuchel.
The Brussels-born talisman would depart Stamford Bridge with a rate of 25 goals in 77 games; not a bad return for a striker who was largely introduced off the bench.
Many clubs in Europe will be vying over his signature, but it appears Besiktas have stolen a march on the rest.
Yesterday, it was reported by Fabrizio Romano that the Turkish side were the lead club in the race for the Belgian's signature.
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According to Besiktas manager Sergen Yalcin, the Turkish side are in talks with Batshuayi's representatives, claiming: "We're currently in talks to sign Michy Batshuayi from Chelsea. If nothing goes wrong, I expect him to join the squad next week".
And Batshuayi has added fuel to the fire, with a cryptic tweet that suggests he is Istanbul-bound.
Georges-Kevin Nkoudou is a French winger who plays for Besiktas, having previously played for English sides Tottenham and Burnley. But perhaps most importantly, he plied his trade at Marseille alongside Batshuayi back in 2015-16.
Nkoudou calling ������������������������������������
— Michy Batshuayi (@mbatshuayi) August 13, 2021
Chelsea could have a mass exodus of strikers this summer if Batshuayi was to leave.
Having already sold Olivier Giroud to AC Milan, it is rumoured Tammy Abraham could follow him to Italy with a move to Roma, alongside Batshuayi's exit.