Alan Smith suggests Chelsea could sell 23-year-old to fund January signings
The Arsenal legend believes Michy Batshuayi could be sacrificed to help Chelsea land some January signings
Alan Smith believes Chelsea could use Michy Batshuayi as a “bargaining tool” to help secure signings in the January transfer window.
The Belgium international has found his first-team opportunities limited once again this season despite scoring some vital goals in 2016-17.
The promising striker netted Chelsea’s title-winning goal in a 1-0 victory over West Brom back in May to secure a second title in three seasons.
Batshuayi netted the winner in Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League group stage in the Spanish capital.
However, the popular forward has largely been used as an impact substitute under Conte in the past one-and-a-half seasons at the west London club.
Batshauyi has still managed to score seven times in 14 appearances in all competitions in 520 competitive minutes.
However, former Arsenal striker Smith believes the Belgian starlet could be used as a makeweight to help get potential January deals over the line next month.
“He [Conte] will want to get more players in in January, get a bigger squad,” Smith told Sky Sports News on Friday.
“He’s obviously got very little faith in Batshuayi if he’s not going to play him when it does come to rotating.
“So maybe he would leave the club in January if he could use him as a bargaining tool. He hasn’t rotated as much as a few of the other teams at the top there and it’s difficult if you don’t.
“I know last season they didn’t but they didn’t have the Champions League to contend with and they were winning and everything was going according to plan. They weren’t getting any injuries and they were on a roll.
Chelsea signed Batshuayi in a £33m deal from Ligue 1 side Marseille in the 2016 summer transfer window.
However, the Blues striker struggled to move above Diego Costa and then Alvaro Morata in the pecking order at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are in third place in the Premier League table and 14 points behind current leaders Manchester City.
