The Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri appears to be putting his own stamp on the striking department at Stamford Bridge after the recent arrival of Gonzalo Higuain and the departure of Alvaro Morata.
Now it would seem that another forward on the club’s books is being moved on as the Guardian report this evening that they have been “searching for a permanent option” for a new club for the Belgium international Michy Batshuayi and “have held talks with Everton” over a potential deal worth £35m.
Batshuayi, 25, is currently on loan at Valencia but hasn’t played for the Spanish side in any of their last six ties. His spell in La Liga may now be over.
Everton’s Premier League rivals West Ham, according to these same reports, have been pursuing a loan deal for the former Marseille man Batshuayi but, it would seem, the Blues want a permanent switch pushed through instead.
Elsewhere in Chelsea-themed transfer news tonight, fans of the West London outfit might be feeling rather more intrigued by the case of Callum Hudson-Odoi, who has been the subject of several bids from Bayern Munich in this soon-to-close January window.
Those bids were rejected and his manager has publicly stated that he’s been assured by the club hierarchy that the player won’t be sold in this transfer window.
Hudson-Odoi made a scoring appearance for his boyhood club in FA Cup action last weekend, however the academy product subsequently failed to pledge his future to the club when asked to in an interview after the game.
Sarri, for his part, then came out and encouraged the player to “respect the club, the academy, everything” after what had seemed like breakdown of his Bayern move.
The news that the 18-year-old is not even in the matchday squad for his side’s Premier League clash with Bournemouth this evening may potentially fuel speculation that his switch to the German champions may be back on.