Crystal Palace agree ?38m fee with Marseille for Michy Batshuayi• Belgium striker is also wanted by West Ham and Juventus
• Palace also trigger Andros Townsend’s release clause
Crystal Palace have agreed a fee ?38m (£31.6m) with Marseille for the Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi, with the Premier League club also hopeful of completing deals for the France goalkeeper Steve Mandanda and Newcastle’s Andros Townsend.Batshuayi, who scored in Belgium’s 4-0 win over Hungary at Euro 2016 on Sunday, has been the subject of two bids in this transfer window after the French club made it plain he will leave the Stade Vélodrome this summer.
West Ham submitted an offer worth up to a potential ?40m at the start of May and remain hopeful of signing him, while Juventus have also made a bid of more than ?30m for the player who scored 17 goals in Ligue 1 last season.However, Palace’s co-owner Steve Parish, who was in Nice to watch England’s last-16 tie against Iceland on Monday night, appears to have stolen a march on his rivals for Batshuayi’s signature after making the offer directly to Marseille’s president, Vincent Labrune.
It is understood that the deal includes a significant bonus payment and sell-on clause, with his former club Standard Liège due 35% of any sale through a previous clause.It is also understood that Palace are close to agreeing a deal to sign Marseille’s Mandanda on a free transfer, although Chelsea remain interested in the 31-year-old. Palace could opt to move for Asmir Begovic if they miss out on Mandanda, although the lure of first-team football at Selhurst Park is believed to have tipped the balance in Palace’s favour.
On a busy day of activity Palace are also understood to have triggered Townsend’s £10.5m release clause, with the England winger currently weighing up whether he would like to move to south London from Newcastle.https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/jun/27/crystal-palace-michy-batshuayi-marseille-bid
