Batshuayi Could Be an Option Should Schick Move in January

Yesterday we discussed the prospect of Patrik Schick temporarily leaving Roma, running back to the safe arms of Sampdoria. We still don't know how much credence that rumor holds, but it does make a certain amount of sense: Schick is floundering at Roma, yet he's young enough (and costly enough) to hold out hope, so returning him to the spot of his greatest success to build up some steam could help out Roma and Schick in the long run.

However, if Schick does leave next month, Roma has to, at the very least, get another striker from somewhere, and with none in the ranks behind Dzeko, they may have to look outside the organization for help. Earlier today we caught wind of the positively uninspiring notion of Luis Muriel moving to Roma, and while he does have Serie A experience, scoring 11 goals as recently as the 2016-2017 season, he's not exactly our knight in shining armor.

This next guy, while his recent record is somewhat similar to Muriel's, has more of the "it” factor; you don't know why, but he just gets you more excited. Thanks to his breakout season with Marseilles several years ago—17 goals and 9 assists as a 22 year old—Michy Batshuayi earned a mega move to Chelsea, making Stamford Bridge his home during the summer of 2016 on a €39 million move.

Since making that switch, Batshuayi has been, well, he's been Chelsea's Patrik Schick; a complete bust. After notching a measly seven goals in his first two seasons with Chelsea, Batshuayi has spent the past 18 months on loan, first with Borussia Dortmund and this season with Valencia, and has yet to find solid footing as he attempts to resurrect his once blossoming career.

Sensing Valencia might not do the trick for him, Batshuayi is reportedly keen on ending his La Liga life a bit early, leading many to speculate about his immediate future. While Chelsea are (presumably) interested in retaining him long-term, given that he's played all of 500 minutes for Valencia this season, it would behoove them to find place where Batshuayi can actually garner some meaningful minutes in 2019.

In many ways, Batshuayi and Schick have followed similar career paths, and as we discussed yesterday, sometimes a simple change of scenery can do wonders for a guy who is missing that right fit.

Michy Batshuayi has already endured his second and third chances, but with Dzeko plagued by injuries and the club desperate for a bit of fresh blood in attack, Batshuayi could, at long last, find the right fit in Roma.