Chelsea Transfer Rumours: West Ham interested in January move for Michy Batshuayi
West Ham United are going back in for Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi, according to The Sun. The Belgian was a target for the Hammers in the summer but chose to join Chelsea instead and Slaven Bilic is now ready to talk to him again and to convince him to join the London club.
The 23-year-old is said to be frustrated at Chelsea this season having failed to regularly make an appearance for the club under Antonio Conte. Having been touted as one of the brightest young forwards in the game, Batshuayi has only managed to play 77 minutes for the Blues this season – all of them coming from the bench.
With Diego Costa in prime form – leading the Premier League Golden Boot race along with Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez – Antonio Conte has seen no reason to make changes. The only way the Belgian can get into the team is if something were to happen to the Spanish striker.
Also Read: Grading Chelsea's 2016 summer transfer window buys
And having only scored one goal and contributed one assist in his few minutes for Chelsea, Batshuayi will have better luck in finding game time if he were to switch to a different Premier League club in January. West Ham are desperate for a striker with Andre Ayew and Simeone Zaza not impressing Slaven Bilic one bit.
The Croat manager is scouring Europe for a striker who can come in and use the likes of Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini to their fullest potential. The Frenchman and the Argentine have been driving forces for the club this season with their chemistry on the field and their ability to thread through balls into the forwards.
And with someone like Batshuayi to tuck away chances, West Ham could rise significantly in the table into a respectable position and possibly not label last season’s achievements as a one-off. Bilic is also under pressure to sign players given he could lose some of his stars.
Payet linked with move to Manchester United
Meanwhile, Dimitri Payet has been linked with a move to Manchester United this week. The 29-year-old is entering the final few years of his playing career and could make the move to Old Trafford to fully satisfy his desire to play in one of Europe’s biggest and most prestigious clubs.
The Hammers are currently fifteenth on the table, four points above the drop zone and host Hull City this weekend in the Premier League. Two away games in Swansea and Leicester follow while they start the new year playing both the Manchester clubs – first Manchester United in the Premier League at home followed by Manchester City in the third round of the FA Cup, also at home.