It is quite clear that Antonio Conte doesn’t deem summer recruit Michy Batshuayi the right man for his setup at the moment. His preference for the aged Fernando Llorente over the 23-year-old has more or less proven it. However, Conte is unlikely to dispose of him so soon and the best option for the Belgian international would be to get into the groove by playing on loan somewhere else in the Premier League.
T4O looks at 3 destinations, Batshuayi could use as a platform to settle into English football.
West Ham United
Of all managers, Slaven Bilic is in dire need of reinforcements and almost all players in the transfer market have been linked with the Hammers at least once in the past few weeks. Batshuayi is no different and he has also been on Bilic’s shopping list.
Simone Zaza, who was brought on loan from Juventus last summer has been a huge disappointment for West Ham United. If not for Michail Antonio, who was a left wing back earlier before he had to become a centre-forward, a midfielder and striker and a winger for Bilic, West Ham would surely be dwelling somewhere in the relegation zone. Bilic is more focused on a temporary improvement in the London club now and Batshuayi could ideally be that addition.
Tottenham Hotspur
Quite similar to that of Simone Zaza, Pochettino’s summer signing Victor Janssen has been a failure too. Until Harry Kane returned to action and to form, Tottenham had to go on a frustrating run of draws in the initial stages of the first half. An addition like Batshuayi would most definitely be an exciting import by Pochettino.
Plus, there is also the Belgian connection. Pochettino’s liking for Belgians might even push him to go for the player if he is at all available. For someone who has seen so little of Premier league so far, playing alongside his compatriots like Dembele, Vertonghen and Alderweireld could help him to settle better.
Swansea City
One of the most likely destinations. If Llorente joins Chelsea, Conte is unlikely to get him permanently, and it’s only because getting a proven striker in the mid-season would be quite difficult. And a sensible deal for Swansea would be to go for a swap loan deal for the Belgian forward if they are letting go of their best forward.
Paul Clement hasn’t had the best start to his career at Swansea and getting his hands on Batshuayi would be a top priority for him.
