Michy Batshuayi to Crystal Palace: Belgium striker 'set to reject Alan Pardew' as Marseille accept £31.6m offer
The 22-year-old has been linked with a lucrative switch to Tottenham Hotspur this summer
Crystal Palace appear to have failed with an audacious €38m (£31.6m) bid to sign Michy Batshuayi from Marseille after the striker reportedly made it clear he would reject their advances.
The 22-year-old has been linked with a switch to Tottenham Hotspur this summer as Premier League clubs look to flex their financial muscle in the wake of a new £8bn television rights deal.
Palace’s transfer record currently stands at £10m, spent on former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Yohan Cabaye last summer, meaning their move for Batshuayi represents a considerable change of strategy in the market.
Despite Marseille reportedly accepting their offer, according to The Times, the Brussels-born striker is prepared to wait for a bigger club to make their interest known, quashing any hope Palace had of securing his services.
Tottenham, Atlético Madrid and Juventus – all clubs who will compete in next season’s Champions League – have been known to harbour an interest.
The report adds that Tottenham have monitored Batshuayi on several occasions but were surprised when he asked for £100,000-per-week in wages. Stoke City and West Ham United are also reported to have failed to secure a deal for him in January.
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