‘I was fooled’ — Michy Batshuayi accuses “contradicting” Conte of making false promises to sign him for Chelsea
Michy Batshuayi has accused former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte of going back on his word when he joined the Stamford Bridge club.
Batshuayi, 28, swapped Marseille for west London in 2016, but he spent much of his existence in the capital on the periphery of first-team action.
His most appearance-heavy campaign came in that debut 2016/17 season with 20 Premier League outings, though only one came as a starter.
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In fact, across six years while contracted to Chelsea, Batshuayi made only five Premier League starts, spending much of his time out on loan.
During that nomadic existence touring the continent, the Belgian turned out for the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Valencia, Crystal Palace and Besiktas.
This summer, his time in Cobham finally came to a permanent end as he returned to Istanbul to sign for Besiktas’ bitter adversaries Fenerbahce.
Reflecting on his ultimately unfulfilled Chelsea career, Batshuayi has now revealed he was lead up the garden path by then manager Conte before joining the Blues.
He told SPORT: “Conte was constantly contradicting himself. To start with my arrival. He called me and explained his project. He wanted me to play in a two-man frontline alongside Diego Costa. Did I believe that? Of course, because Conte has played with two attackers all his career. Except at Chelsea with me. I do not understand. The truth is that I have been fooled far too often.”
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Despite his fleeting moments in a Chelsea shirt, Batshuayi did manage to net 25 goals in 77 games across all competitions. He also won a Premier League winners’ medal in 2016/17 and lifted the FA Cup the following season.
A move to Nottingham Forest appeared almost a foregone conclusion in the closing stages of the transfer window, but a deal ultimately failed to materialise. He has since signed for Fenerbahce, returning to a division he made his own last season.
He bagged 14 Super Lig goals on loan for Besiktas last term, and will be hoping to transpose that form to this campaign for Fenerbahce. So far, he has nabbed one goal in three appearances, coming against Dynamo Kyiv in the Europa League.
