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Chelsea drama: Antonio Conte puts Michy Batshuayi on notice

By Rucker Haringey

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 28: Michy Batshuayi of Chelsea celebrates after scoring his sides fourth goal during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Chelsea and Brentford at Stamford Bridge on January 28, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 28: Michy Batshuayi of Chelsea celebrates after scoring his sides fourth goal during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Chelsea and Brentford at Stamford Bridge on January 28, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /
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Chelsea may sell Michy Batshuayi this summer

Michy Batshuayi arrived at Chelsea with sky-high expectations last summer. Unfortunately, things haven’t gone according to plan for the Belgian striker. Antonio Conte is even open to the idea of selling Batshuayi after just one season at Stamford Bridge.

Conte hasn’t closed the book on the 23-year-old striker, but he’s far from convinced he deserves regular playing time. Reports from England quote Conte as saying that he’s pleased with how Batshuayi’s training, but he still plans to evaluate his status with the club at season’s end.

It’s clear to see that Batshuayi’s status with Chelsea is tenuous at best. Diego Costa is firmly entrenched as the club’s starting striker, and unless the Blues acquiesce to a big-money move to China this summer, nothing will change that. That leaves Batshuayi to battle for the backup role.

Fortunately, Conte doesn’t have any classic centre forward options to replace Batshuayi with this season. That’s kept him on the fringes of the squad despite his struggles. Next season, the composition of the squad could look much different.

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Many Chelsea fans want to see young Tammy Abraham get a chance to serve as Costa’s backup next season. The 19-year-old starlet has enjoyed a very productive loan at Bristol City this year. Scoring 18 goals in 31 league appearances for the Rovers is a pretty good indicator that he’s capable of contributing at the Premier League level next season.

Even if Conte believes Abraham isn’t quite ready, there’s a significant probability that he’ll simply go out and buy a new striker this summer. Chelsea aren’t exactly a club that are afraid to spend money. If Conte isn’t completely sold that Batshuayi is ready to shoulder a significant load next year, he’ll break out the cheque book to cover for last summer’s mistake.

Ultimately, Michy Batshuayi needs to find a way to show everyone at Chelsea that his struggles this season are just an aberration. He may not get enough playing time this season to accomplish that goal. The clock is ticking for him to show Antonio Conte that he should be a part of his long-term plans.

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