Batshuayi linked with Everton move

Everton are keen on bringing Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi to Goodison Park after his loan spell at Valencia was cut short.

Batshuayi, 25, has played 53 games for Chelsea signing from Marseille for £33 million in July 2016, scoring 19 goals but has often played second fiddle to Diego Costa and later Álvaro Morata.

He spent the second half of last season with Borussia Dortmund, netting nine times in 14 appearances, before another temporary switch to Valencia this season, which saw him publicly criticised by manager Marcelino and score just three goals in 23 outings.

But he is now back at Stamford Bridge, and the Telegraph report that the Toffees are one of several clubs interested in securing the Belgian forward’s services.

Indeed, Valencia sporting director Mateu Alemany said interest in Batshuayi is rife:

“Batshuayi’s situation is very clear. We are negotiating the player’s exit with various other clubs.

“I expect he will leave in the coming hours or days. The player knows he is leaving, we told him some weeks ago. We hope that, for his sake, this can be resolved as soon as possible. He is leaving and it’s now a matter of negotiation.”

Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images

Unless Everton were to terminate their loan deal for Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma, though, any move for Batshuayi during the January transfer window must be a permanent one, as they cannot lend two players from the same club.

Marco Silva’s striking problems have been well-documented, with Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurðsson, neither of whom are natural number nines, leading the Blues’ scoring ranks this season.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has only five goals, while Oumar Niasse and Cenk Tosun, who both look likely to leave Merseyside either this month or in the summer, have just two strikes between them this campaign.