Antonio Conte has confirmed that Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi will remain at the club despite interest from West Ham, report The Sun.
Batshuayi signed for the Blues in the summer transfer window for a fee of, as reported by the Guardian, £33 million. He has, however, had his opportunities severely limited under Conte’s stewardship and is yet to make a Premier League start. That is, in the most part, down to Diego Costa’s good form. The Spaniard is the league’s top goalscorer after finding the back of the net on 13 occasions, leaving Batshuayi with little hope of pushing past him and into the starting eleven.
Yesterday’s game against Bournemouth looked like an opportunity for the Belgian. Costa was serving a one-match suspension for accumulating five yellow cards – but Conte opted to field Eden Hazard as a false-nine instead of his reserve striker.
This has inevitably sparked speculation over his future at Stamford Bridge, with The Sun reporting that West Ham are lining up a loan move for him in the January transfer window.
Conte, however, is unwilling to let Batshuayi leave the club next month, as The Sun report: “He is a new player for Chelsea. To go on loan now is a defeat for the club and for me. Now it is important to be focused to improve.”
Only time will tell whether Batshuayi has a future with Chelsea. He has only played 115 Premier League minutes so far this campaign, which is a clear indication just how little his manager trusts him.