Michy Batshuayi (c.) settled in quickly at Borussia Dortmund following his winter loan move from English Premier League side Chelsea. - © © gettyimages / Christof Koepsel
Michy Batshuayi (c.) settled in quickly at Borussia Dortmund following his winter loan move from English Premier League side Chelsea. - © © gettyimages / Christof Koepsel

"Interest to sign Michy Batshuayi is basically there" - Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke

xwhatsappmailcopy-link

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke says the club are interested in signing Michy Batshuayi to a permanent deal despite the Chelsea-owned striker’s season ending prematurely with a rolled ankle picked up against Schalke.

Batshuayi had set the Signal Iduna Park alight after replacing the Arsenal-bound Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the focal point of Dortmund’s attack in January, with seven goals in his 10 Bundesliga games. But with no permanent option in his current contract and now injured, the chances of a longer-term stay for the Belgian looked slim.

It would seem Watzke has other ideas, though, telling SportBild of his desire to keep the 24-year-old beyond the the terms of his current deal.

“The interest to sign him is basically there,” he said. “Chelsea have two strikers with [Olivier] Giroud and [Alvaro] Morata anyway. But first we have to wait and see who will be Chelsea's coach next season. Then we'll see.”

Batshuayi, who also found the net twice during Die Schwarzgelben’s run to the UEFA Europa League last 16, seems to to be just as keen on a longer stay as the senior BVB management, as he explained to bundesliga.com recently.

Watch: All of Batshuayi's Bundesliga goals for Dortmund to date!

“My first month here’s gone very quickly,” he said. “All sorts of great stuff’s happened. Hopefully there’s more of the same to come. It’s all new to me but it’s great. You’re always looking to get forward, counter-attacking, fast very attacking football, very dynamic. It just makes me happy to be here!”

Click here for more Borussia Dortmund news, views and features!