Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi has mostly come off the bench for the Blues this season. The Belgian has failed to impress manager Antonio Conte as evidenced by his exclusion from the first eleven on Tuesday night following Alvaro Morata’s recent injury. Batshuayi came on to play for just 21 minutes against Huddersfield Town in their last league match and is now being touted to make a loan move when the transfer window commences in January.
In a recent interview after Batshuayi started for Chelsea in an EFL Cup against Everton, Antonio Conte said:
‘Michy is improving a lot, especially under a tactical aspect. He is working very well and understanding what I want from him. I’m very happy. Tonight he didn’t score but he played very well. I don’t judge a striker if he scores or not scores – I judge my players on the performance and Michy is improving a lot. He has a lot of room for improvement. Last season was difficult for him but it was also difficult for me. Now he’s ready to start and come out and during the game and have a good impact. Sometimes if I decide to play with two strikers, maybe I don’t know, but it’s important to know I can count on him.’
There’s no doubt about his quality as the Belgian has made 16 appearances for Chelsea this season and has scored 9 goals in the process.However, the lack of starts would be a cause to be alarmed for the striker as he now looks to regain his confidence by getting more Premier League experience under his belt.
Let’s take a look at three options for the Blues’ striker if he does leave Stamford Bridge in search of more first-team action next month.
Swansea City
The Swans has re-signed their former striker Wilfred Bony in the summer and also possess Tammy Abraham in their team, who’s on loan from Chelsea. However, both strikers have failed to score enough goals this season which has seen them fall to the bottom of the Premier League table.
The Welsh club has only managed to score 9 goals in 16 matches and are in real danger of relegation. Swansea manager, Paul Clement can look to bring in another striker from Chelsea in the form of Batshuayi on a temporary basis in order to save themselves in the second half of their Premier League campaign.
Everton
The new Everton boss is looking to bring in reinforcements in January and one of the key areas he needs to address is that of a centre-forward. The Toffees’ have failed to replace Romelu Lukaku so far and it might be wise if they can bring in someone of the calibre of Batshuayi even on a temporary basis. He might be the ideal forward who can thrive under Big Sam in an Evertonian shirt.
Burnley
Sean Dyche’s Burnley has been superb in the league this season but one of their only weaknesses remains their lack of goal-scoring threat going forward. The Clarets have just scored 16 goals in 17 Premier League matches and are crying out for a striker who can bang in some goals for them. Batshuayi can be that man in what promises to be an exciting season for the Lancashire club.
