Transfer Rumor: Batshuayi to West Ham

Another striker is rumored to be on the move to the London Stadium as former Marseille star Michy Batshuayi looks to move out of Chelsea on loan. The Belgian international had interest in the summer window from West Ham, but instead moved to Chelsea in a 33 million pound deal. However, with Diego Costa firmly planted as starting striker, Batshuayi has experienced very little first team football this season at Chelsea.

A deal sending Batshuyai to Swansea on loan is supposedly in the works in order to send Fernando Llorente from the Swans to Chelsea, but Batshuyai is rumored to be not keen on playing for Swansea and would rather go to West Ham on loan instead. The striker was apparently looking forward to playing at Chelsea, but the lack of opportunities to play must be frustrating to the young star. While nothing is guaranteed in football, Batshuyai’s style and size would be a great addition to the team, as Andy Carroll has yet to find his groove for West Ham this season and, to be honest, is a bad tackle away from being out for another few months.

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While another loan move may cause most West Ham fans to rolls their eyes in disgust, thinking of the recent loan flops in Simone Zaza or Jonathan Calleri, it isn't always a terrible idea to take a player on loan who otherwise isn’t getting first team action at a “bigger” club. After all, there are a few examples of successful loan moves being made permanent, with Andy Carroll moving first on loan and then permanently from Liverpool and another Belgian striker from Chelsea, Romelu Lukaku, going to Everton first on loan and then being transferred. I think any Hammer fan would take a signing even half as successful as Lukaku’s tenure at Goodison Park at this point, with the summer signings not panning out.

And, as always, at least it’s not Jermain Defoe.