Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi seeks loan move to boost World Cup hopes

Michy Batshuayi hopes to leave Chelsea on a loan move next month to ease fears over losing his place in Belgium’s World Cup squad.

Batshuayi has continued to be barely used by coach Antonio Conte this season having joined from Marseille for £33.1m in 2016.

The 24-year-old has started just six games this term, although that is partly due to missing last month’s matches because of a foot injury.

Summer signing Alvaro Morata, who arrived for a club record £58m from Real Madrid, is first-choice striker at Stamford Bridge.

However, Conte did not start with Batshuayi for the match at Huddersfield Town on Tuesday when the Spain forward was ruled out with a minor back problem and fatigue.

The Chelsea boss opted to play with Eden Hazard as a ‘false nine’ instead and only brought Batshuayi on as a late substitute when the team were 3-0 up.

Conte, who named Batshuayi in the first XI just once in the League last season, consistently hesitates to use the forward. Batshuayi has seven goals from just 15 appearances this term, having scored nine times in his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge.

But he is looking for a loan when the window reopens in order to get regular first-team football.

The Belgian wants to play more anyway, but it has become a particular concern with the World Cup just six months away.

His spot in the squad could come under threat due to a lack of action, although fellow international forwards Christian Benteke and Divock Origi have struggled for form at Crystal Palace and Wolfsburg respectively. The Blues would have allowed Batshuayi to leave on loan in the summer had they successfully bought someone to replace him. But the club missed out on Conte’s prime target Fernando Llorente, who opted to join Tottenham from Swansea instead.

Batshuayi will again have to rely on Chelsea bringing in another forward player next month to have a chance of being granted a move.

Despite not being a key part of the side, Conte will not want to limit his options with the club fighting to secure a top-four place in the League and involved in three cup competitions.

So far Chelsea have scouted Red Star Belgrade frontman Richmond Boakye and been looking at attacking wide players like Monaco’s Thomas Lemar and Bayer Leverkusen’s Leon Bailey.

It has been suggested that Batshuayi could be used as part of a deal to help clinch the signing of Lemar, who is valued by Monaco at £80million.

However, he may have reservations about joining a club that already has a number of strikers, with Radamel Falcao at the top of the pecking order.

Batshuayi, who was a target of West Ham last summer, will want assurances that he will get plenty of game time should he get a loan move.

Morata is expected to return for Saturday’s game against Southampton, but David Luiz is still out with a knee problem.

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