West Ham to make new approach for Chelsea's Michy Batshuayi — report

Before joining Chelsea in a £33 million transfer from Olympique Marseille last summer, striker Michy Batshuayi had been subject to heavy interest from several Premier League clubs including West Ham United. The Hammers were again linked in a loan move in January, and according to ESPN, they remain keen as long as Batshuayi’s situation remains undefined. While Chelsea are reluctant to sell, a loan move could be on the cards.

West Ham have made reinforcing their attack a priority for the summer transfer window, and with good reason. They scored only 47 goals in 38 games, finishing in 11th place. They were heavily impacted by the loss of playmaker Dimitri Payet who fell out with manager Slaven Bilic and most of the squad in the middle of the season, and ended up joining Michy's old club back in France in January.

Batshuayi’s four goals in three games to finish the 2016-17 Premier League has given us hope that he could end up staying at Chelsea for next season. But the latest update on Diego Costa and the apparently non-existent agreement on his move to China, coupled with Chelsea's ongoing interest in Romelu Lukaku and Álvaro Morata, means that Michy's chances at getting significant playing time at the Bridge next season could be slim, to say the least. Thus a loan move could serve him well; especially at a Premier League team that would utilize Michy as their focal point in attack.