SPECIAL REPORT
Michy Batshuayi is set for Chelsea talks in the coming days and he wants assurances over his future after struggling to make an impact in his first season at the club, Goal understands.
Diego Costa is has been told he has no future at the club by Antonio Conte and is expected to be sold by Chelsea in favour of bringing back their former player Romelu Lukaku.
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However, Everton are playing hard ball and they are asking for an £100 million fee for their star player, with Batshuayi still in the picture as an option for the Blues.
Batshuayi is happy to compete with Lukaku, but he wants assurances that the fee involved in signing Lukaku won't leave him locked out of the team for another season. A lack of first team opportunities means he could be dropped by his national team ahead of the World Cup.
West Ham and AS Monaco have emerged with serious interest in Batshuayi's situation, but the Belgian would prioritise finding another top club over a financial package if he leaves Stamford Bridge.
Batshuayi is not interested in playing for a lesser English side, and he would reject West Ham's advances at this stage. He is thought to have had 13 lower-to mid-table clubs in the Premier League enquire about his availability in January for a temporary move.
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West Bromwich Albion, the team Batshuayi scored his historic Premier League winning goal against in May, were one of the teams most keen on securing him on loan during the winter transfer window.
Chelsea held onto him as they needed a back up option for Costa after failing to sign Fernando Llorente from Swansea City, so they could accommodate a loan move away for their 23-year-old hitman.
Conte originally agreed to bring in Batshuayi as his plan was to play him in a 4-2-4 formation alongside Costa but he soon abandoned it to play in the 3-4-3 formation that delivered an unexpected Premier League in his first season.
There is unlikely to be any movement on Batshuayi's situation until Costa and Lukaku's futures are resolved but the first post-season talks are set to begin soon.