Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi joins Fenerbahce

Turkish giants Fenerbahce have confirmed the signing of Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi on a permanent deal with a club statement via their official Twitter account.

The Belgium international came close to joining Nottingham Forest on loan hours before the transfer window closed.

The move collapsed after Chelsea failed to send the documents to Forest before the window closed, forcing him to look overseas for a possible escape route from Stamford Bridge.

With the Turkish transfer window open until September 8, Fenerbahce have swooped in to complete the signing of the striker.

Batshuayi joined Chelsea in a big-money move from Ligue 1 club Olympique Marseille in 2016 but has spent most of his Chelsea career away on loan.

He has embarked on five loan spells across Europe, including stints with Borussia Dortmund, Valencia and two years with Crystal Palace.

The 28-year-old spent last season on loan in Turkey with Besiktas, racking up 14 goals and providing five assists in 33 league games.

He returned to Chelsea this summer, and despite travelling with Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the pre-season tour of the United States, he is yet to see any competitive action.

He has not made any of Tuchel’s squad, with the German manager preferring Kai Havertz, Raheem Sterling and Armando Broja as his striking options.

The deadline-day arrival of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also pushed the Belgian further down the pecking order.

Batshuayi has only made 77 appearances for Chelsea, contributing 25 goals and six assists over his six years with the club.