Report: Borussia Dortmund agrees to sign Chelsea's Batshuayi on loan
The confusion over Michy Batshuayi's future is reportedly over.
According to BBC Sport's Simon Stone, Borussia Dortmund has agreed to a loan deal for Batshuayi, who will be signed for the rest of the season. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined Arsenal for a club-record fee and the German club apparently said the product of AC Milan would only be sold if a replacement was found.
#AFC | Batshuayi is undergoing his medical at Dortmund. pic.twitter.com/hwm1fDiaNk
— Chris Davison (@c11davison) January 31, 2018
Antonio Conte admitted his preparations for Wednesday's game between Chelsea and AFC Bournemouth were severely disrupted by the uncertainty surrounding Batshuayi's future with the Blues, saying, per the Guardian's Dominic Fifield: "It's not simple, this situation with Batshuayi. There is only one day left in the transfer market, and the player knows very well the situation. Today he trained well and I prepared the game with him. But you don't know what will happen tonight or tomorrow. We must be ready to face every situation. It's not the best situation to face, but we have to.
"For sure, in this type of situation, the coach has to speak with the player involved. For now he's a Chelsea player. For this reason, he's in contention for tomorrow's game. Also because I have (Alvaro) Morata injured and I don't have other options, especially as Willian is also injured. (Eden) Hazard can play No. 9, so I'd need to find another No. 10. It's not easy to prepare."
Chelsea reportedly held talks with Tottenham Hotspur over a possible swap deal involving Fernando Llorente, but Batshuayi rejected the move, wanting to be a first-choice striker.
🦇🌑🌕 ... 👀
— Michy Batshuayi (@mbatshuayi) January 31, 2018
Dortmund will visit 1. FC Koln on Friday in the Bundesliga.
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