Chelsea consider using forward as bait for Arsenal target

Chelsea could use out of favour striker Michy Batshuayi as a makeweight in a January deal for Monaco star Thomas Lemar, reports The Daily Telegraph.

Antonio Conte’s side will rival Arsenal for Lemar’s signature in January after the France international failed to secure a Premier League move in the summer.

The defending Premier League champions will need to break their club transfer record for the second time this season to land Lemar, but are exploring whether they can sweeten a deal by sending Batshuayi in the other direction.

Batshuayi has struggled to make an impression since making a £30m switch from Marseille over 12 months ago and is unlikely to make the grade at Stamford Bridge under Conte.

The writing appears on the wall for the 24-year-old after he failed to making the starting XI even when Alvaro Morata was unable to feature against Huddersfield on Tuesday.

Conte instead opted to play without a recognised striker rather than hand Batshuayi his third Premier League start of the season and now Chelsea are considering sending him back to France, if Monaco are interested.

Of players that have scored at least five Premier League goals since the start of last season, Batshuayi requires the fewest minutes per goal (1 every 65.1 minutes of action).