Valencia cut short Batshuayi's loan from Chelsea

Chelsea-owned Michy Batshuayi has had his loan to Valencia cut short, with the Liga side's general director Mateu Alemany confirming the news on Thursday.

The Belgian striker has endured a tough time since his move to Spain, netting only two goals in 23 matches for Los Che despite having enjoyed a massively fruitful spell at Borussia Dortmund earlier in 2018, bagging seven times in 10 games.

Indeed, Valencia boss Marcelino saw his side fall to a shock 2-1 Copa del Rey defeat to Segunda Division outfit Sporting Gijon on Tuesday, a match in which Batshuayi was hooked at half time.

The former Villarreal coach let slip after the loss that his team "need to make signings up front" and that his "patience has run out"  following comments that he had only subbed the attacker for tactical reasons.

It seems Batshuayi's race in Spain is in fact run however, with Alemany confirming on Thursday that he expects the 25-year-old to leave Mestalla imminently.

“The player knows,” he said. “For the good of the player and the club, we are looking for a solution.

“We are expecting an exit in the few hours or days.”

Alemany's comments suggest Batshuayi will be loaned out to a different club rather than return to Stamford Bridge, even if Chelsea are struggling with striker problems of their own.

Getty Images

Reports have suggested that West Ham and Crystal Palace are both interested in a man who cost the Blues £33 million in 2016, and a deal with the former could turn out to be a shrewd move if they are indeed trying to sign Marko Arnautovic.

Bournemouth's Callum Wilson and AC Milan's Gonzalo Higuain have been linked with moves to Stamford Bridge, but former Chelsea man Steve Sidwell said recently that Arnautovic would represent far better value for money.

"If it was £50m between Wilson or Arnautovic, me personally, I’d go with Marko,” Sidwell told Sky Sports . “I’ve played with him and I know what he could do.

“He’d be a player that would thrive there because he’d fit in the dressing room straight away and have the ego to go and say, ‘This is a big club, I can match this.’

“Especially as a striker, you need that.”