Chelsea to Offer Michy Batshuayi New Contract Before Loan Exit
By Tom Gott
Chelsea are expected to hand a new contract to Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi before finding him a club to join on loan for the 2020/21 season.
The £33m-signing, who is now Chelsea's fourth-choice striker behind Timo Werner, Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud, has just one year remaining on his current deal and looks to have played his final game for the Blues.
Chelsea are ready to let Batshuayi leave this summer but have found no side willing to meet their asking price - rumoured to be in excess of £20m - so another loan exit seems like the best option.
However, given he has one year left on his contract, Batshuayi would need to sign a short-term extension before heading out, and that's exactly what The Sun claim is on the cards.
To tempt Batshuayi into agreeing, Chelsea are expected to hand the Belgian a pay rise to take his weekly salary to £100,000-a-week, although they have no intention of actually paying that themselves and will look for a loan club to shoulder the bill.
BEST. DAY. EVER ? https://t.co/yxJ2w2eyfr
— Michy Batshuayi (@mbatshuayi) May 12, 2020
There are a few sides understood to be interested in a temporary deal for Batshuayi, namely Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion, although that list of suitors may actually be far shorter than suggested.
Newcastle are closing in on a £20m deal for Bournemouth's Callum Wilson, while Palace want Chelsea youngster Conor Gallagher on loan too and are not permitted to take both, so the Blues may have a battle on their hands to find the right suitor.
Having said that, Leeds United, who were also linked with Batshuayi before landing Rodrigo, could end up with Gallagher's signature and free up a spot in Palace's squad for the Belgium international.
His destination might be uncertain, but what seems clear is that Batshuayi will not be at Stamford Bridge by the time the 2020/21 season gets underway.
He started just one Premier League game under Frank Lampard last season, scoring one goal in 16 outings and lost his status as Abraham's deputy to Giroud midway through the season. The Frenchman bagged six goals in nine games after the restart and now looks to have pushed Batshuayi out the exit door.