Chelsea have agreed a £33million deal with Marseille over the transfer of Michy Batshuayi.
The Blues swooped in on Tuesday night to beat Juventus, West Ham United and Crystal Palace to the Belgian international.
Palace had seen an offer accepted by the French side but Chelsea hijacked the deal for the striker.
Batshuayi will be granted special dispensation by Belgium to undergo a medical and sign the paperwork to complete the sale.
Chelsea had been chasing a long list of strikers this summer and could yet complete more deals to increase their firepower for next season.
Batshuayi’s international team-mate, Romelu Lukaku, was one name on Antonio Conte’s hitlist but the club’s interest is now expected to end in re-signing their former player.
But what do we know about the man Chelsea have chosen to help ease the burden on Diego Costa at Stamford Bridge next season?
Let’s take a look at the Marseille marksman who is heading to the Premier League for the 2016-16 campaign.
Batshuayi in profile
Full name: Michy Batshuayi Tunga
Nickname: Batsman
Current club: Marseille
Date of birth: 2 October 1993
Place of birth: Brussels, Belgium
Height: 5ft 11in
Playing position: Striker
What can we expect from Batshuayi?
Chelsea are recruiting an outstanding finisher in Batshuayi.
Possessing a muscular physique and imposing frame, the Belgian combines athleticism, raw power, excellent technique and predatory instincts in the penalty box.
He scored 17 times in League 1 last season, placing him behind Edinson Cavani, Alexandre Lacazette and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the sharpshooter charts.
As well as being a scorer of goals, Batshuayi is often the creator and contributed nine assists in an excellent campaign for his club to put him on the radar of Europe’s elite.
He has something of a bad boy reputation, something his new team-mate Costa knows all about, and that was a factor in his nomadic existence earlier in his career.
Crucially, Batshuayi has the knack of being in the right place at the right time and that natural ability to find pockets of space is key to his goalscoring prowess.
Some people will claim he is a scorer of lucky goals but there is no luck involved in the Marseille striker’s game, just anticipation and cunning.
One criticism of him is that he is caught offside too often, which is perhaps more due to laziness than a lack of awareness.
Conte is known for drilling his players in every aspect of the game and the Italian boss could be just the man to iron out the flaws in Batshuayi’s evolving game.
How will he fit in at Chelsea?
There is a dearth of firepower at Chelsea and the club have been crying out for fresh blood up front.
Radamel Falcao has already gone, Alexandre Pato is soon to follow him and the club are seeking a buyer for Loic Remy.
Goalscoring was a real issue at Stamford Bridge last season and one of the key reasons behind the club’s shocking decline.
Conte wants to ease the pressure on Costa, who has long been the go-to source of ammunition, and Batshuayi offers a better option than the three outgoing forwards.
The incoming manager favours a 3-5-2 system, which he has continued to employ at the Euros, and that should suit Batshuayi.
He likes to drop off and link up the play with the midfield and could provide the perfect for foil for Costa next season by lurking deeper and drawing defenders out of position.
If Remy does indeed leave this summer then Chelsea will be looking for another striker to provide competition for the new front pairing.
Alvaro Morata remains uppermost in their thinking but the deal hinges on Real Madrid, who can choose to cash in or give the Spaniard a second crack in La Liga.
Any deal for Morata would eclipse the fee paid for Batshuayi and cast a few doubts over who would be the first-choice partnership in west London in 2016-17.
What they say about Batshuayi
Marseille president Vincent Labrune: "There is not a single top-15 world club that is not interested in Batshuayi. He is one of the most wanted players on the market.
"There were a lot of offers for him this summer, but he didn't want to leave. He's proving himself on the pitch, and if clubs want him then they are going to have to pay around €50m."
Former team-mate Florian Thauvin: "He has a very good state of mind, he is respectful and works hard. It's not easy to not get excited, and I find it really cool, and it shows a strong personality."
