Transfer Centre

Antonio Conte hints at Michy Batshuayi stay

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 28 January 2018

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte suggests that Michy Batshuayi is likely to stay at the club this month, even if he brings in another attacking player.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has suggested that Michy Batshuayi could stay at the club this month, even if he brings in a new striker to bolster his attacking options.

The Premier League champions are understood to be in the market for a targetman before next Wednesday's transfer deadline, with the likes of Andy Carroll, Peter Crouch and Ashley Barnes among the names to have been linked with the club.

Roma's Edin Dzeko appears to be Chelsea's first choice as things stand, but Conte has insisted that any incomings will not necessarily result in Batshuayi leaving the club after seeing the Belgian score twice in a 3-0 FA Cup win over Newcastle United this afternoon.

"If you see our squad, we don't have three, four, five strikers. We have two strikers: [Alvaro] Morata and Batshuayi. When you have to play league, Champions League, then FA Cup. If we have also three strikers I think that's the minimum," he told reporters in his post-match press conference.

"It doesn't mean if we take another player Michy has to go on loan, because we have a lot of competitions. If the club wants to add players to this squad, or if we want to continue with only two strikers - Morata and Batshuayi - I'd be happy in both cases. We have to see what happens during the transfer market.

"If the club decides to add another player, then, I don't know if Michy wants to stay, or wants to go on loan. In this case it would be a player decision, not my decision. I'm ready to continue to work with these players. Today I think I showed that for me the most important thing is the present. It's not the future. [Batshuayi] has a lot of space for improvement."

Batshuayi has now scored 10 senior goals for Chelsea this season, despite starting only 10 matches.