Former Chelsea star 'scammed out of £160,000 during move to Turkey'... after forward shelled out on a new apartment and car only for neither to arrive
- Michy Batshuayi left Stamford Bridge in 2022 after scoring 25 goals in 77 games
- One of his loan spells was at Besiktas where he claims he fell victim to fraud
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Michy Batshuayi reportedly endured a scamming nightmare while on a loan spell at Besiktas, with the former Chelsea striker alleging he was a victim of £160,000 fraud.
The Belgian arrived at Stamford Bridge from Marseille in a transfer worth £32million and had a mixed spell with the Blues, spending much of his time on loan but also scoring 25 goals in 77 appearances which were largely from the bench.
He finally left two years ago to make a permanent switch to Turkish side Fenerbahce for a fee of just £3m, before moving on in the summer to rivals Galatasaray on a free transfer.
One of his loan stints while at Chelsea was at another Turkish club, Besiktas, where the forward bagged 14 goals in 42 matches.
His time off the pitch was slightly more eventful, however, and it has now emerged via HLN that Batshuayi claims he was scammed out of £160,000 while he was at the side.
Michy Batshuayi claims he was scammed out of £160,000 during his spell at Besiktas in Turkey
Despite his claims of fraud, Batshuayi stayed in Turkey and now plays for rivals Galatasaray
The Belgian alleges he paid someone posing as a consultant, under the alias 'HB', to arrange him six months' rent for an apartment and a car for his brief spell in Turkey.
He claims the car never arrived and no rent was paid for a property and he filed a complaint which led to the arrest of a man by police.
The investigation into the alleged fraud is ongoing but the man has been released by Turkish police under judicial supervision.
In spite of the incident, Batshuayi continued his stay in the country, moving to Fenerbahce in 2022 before heading to Galatasaray this summer.
There has scarcely been a dull moment during the striker's three-year spell in Turkey with fan violence alarmingly common in the country.
Last season, Fenerbahce's players were attacked by Trabzonspor fans who stormed the pitch, hurling objects and wielding corner flags.
Former QPR star Bright Osayi-Samuel was forced to fight back to protect himself as an assailant pummelled him. Batshuayi meanwhile launched into a spinning heel kick connecting with a supporter and causing them to quickly disperse.
His recent move, crossing the divide between two of the sport's biggest rivals, unsurprisingly became a huge talking point in Turkey.
His wife, Amely Maria (left) previously claimed her family had been threatened amid reports of the move before it was finalised
Batshuayi and Fenerbahce players were targeted by Trabzonspor fans after the striker netted the winner in a 3-2 victory back in March
She claimed her family and child have been threatened, while also alleging racist abuse had been sent to them.
'When you don't know what's going on in the shadows, don't point fingers at the innocent. The real culprits are those who don't take responsibility.
'Shame on those who threaten my family and wish death on my child for football, and you dare to talk about family? What a shame!!! Racism and death threats. God sees you all.'
