AS Roma target Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi — report

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Italian Serie A side AS Roma are considering an approach for Chelsea centre forward Michy Batshuayi in the January transfer window as one potential solution to their goal-woes — possibly with an option to but, in a classic Serie A loan-to-buy arrangement.

Roma currently sit in 7th place — but only 3 points behind 4th place AC Milan and a Champions League classification spot — however their strikers have had a torrid time in front of goal. Former goal-machine Edin Dzeko has scored twice in 12 matches and future-goal-machine Patrik Schick has just 1 in 10.

Roma’s idea is apparently to send the 22-year-old Schick on loan (his former club Sampdoria a potential destination) and replace him with Batshuayi, who seems in need of a change of environment after failing to light up La Liga with Valencia in the first-half of the season (3 goals in 20 appearances in all competitions). While neither player involved in this potential transaction seems to be success in front of goal, sometimes a little change can unlock big things.

Incidentally, were Batshuayi to switch to the Serie A, he could become thef first player in the 21st century to score a goal in all five of Europe’s biggest leagues (the first to do so was Florin Răducioiu, a Romanian striker who played from 1986 until 2004).