Tottenham's '£5m Loan Bid for Michy Batshuayi Rejected' by Chelsea on Deadline Day
Chelsea rejected a £5m offer from Tottenham Hotspur to take Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi on loan for the remainder of the season, according to Het Belang van Limburg journalist Sven Claes.
Batshuayi, who spent the first half of the season on loan with Valencia, saw his time in Spain brought to an abrupt end after a string of disappointing performances. He was linked with moves to Everton, West Ham United and Real Betis, before eventually securing a late loan move to Crystal Palace.
Claes claimed Tottenham submitted a £5m offer to take Batshuayi on loan for the remainder of the season, but their proposal was swiftly rejected by London rivals Chelsea.
Chelsea also accepted loan proposals from both West Ham and Real Betis, but neither move materialised as Batshuayi remained at Stamford Bridge towards the late stages of the transfer window.
He eventually left the Blues in favour of Crystal Palace, who will be desperate for Batshuayi to be at his prolific best as they seek to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
The Eagles, who currently sit 15th in the league table, have struggled greatly in front of goal this season, finding the back of the net just 24 times in as many matches. The side's top scorer is currently defensive midfielder Luka Milivojevic, who has racked up an impressive six goals already this season.
However, the likes of Jordan Ayew and Connor Wickham have found goals hard to come by this campaign, whilst regular first-choice forward Christian Benteke has only recently returned from a knee injury which had sidelined him for the majority of the season.
They will be keen for Batshuayi to showcase his best form at Selhurst Park, with the 25-year-old having been guilty of some inconsistent form in recent seasons.
After several prolific years with Marseille, Batshuayi earned a £33m move to Chelsea in 2016. However, after just 19 goals in 53 appearances, Batshuayi found himself joining Chelsea's vast list of loan players.
A spell with Borussia Dortmund at the end of last season saw Batshuayi rack up nine goals in 14 appearances, but a move to Valencia during the summer yielded just three goals in 23 appearances. Palace fans will certainly be hoping that they have signed the Dortmund version of Batshuayi.