Chelsea's Batshuayi returns to Crystal Palace on loan

London (AFP) – Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi returned to Crystal Palace on a season-long loan on Thursday.

Batshuayi, 26, has moved back to Selhurst Park after a successful loan spell with Palace in the second half of the 2018-19 season.

The Belgium international scored six goals in 13 appearances for Palace to help them avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Batshuayi spent last season as a fringe figure in Frank Lampard’s Chelsea squad and the close-season signings of Timo Werner and Kai Havertz had pushed him further down the pecking order.

“My target is to win a lot of games with the team because Palace is a good team and a dangerous team for the big clubs,” Batshuayi told Palace’s website.

“I want to win and to score, to do my job to help the team and I know my team-mates will help me as well.”

Batshuayi, whose only Premier League goal for Chelsea last term came way back in October, will hope to play regularly for Palace and earn a spot in Belgium’s squad for next year’s European Championships.

“He made a great impact at the club in his previous loan spell, albeit only five months long, displaying a goal scoring threat which we very much needed at that time and we are confident he will produce again,” Palace manager Roy Hodgson said.