Is Antonio Conte right to keep Michy Batshuayi at Chelsea?

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Despite a disappointing debut season in 2016/17, Michy Batshuayi is set to stay at Stamford Bridge and feature for the Blues in the coming season, according to the London Evening Standard.

The decision has been taken by Italian boss Antonio Conte after the Belgian’s impressive pre-season form, which has already seen him notch three goals past Arsenal and Bayern Munich.

Previously, Batshuayi was expected to leave the club on loan. Having made just two Premier League starts last season, both once the title had already been won, Conte appeared not to trust the 23-year-old. A loan exit to find more regular football was expected, but he could now have a more important role to play at Stamford Bridge.

Instead, he has immediately struck up an effective partnership with Alvaro Morata, as he demonstrated against Bayern Munich. The Spaniard set up Batshuayi’s strike and the pair worked well, taking turns to drop deep or drift wide to create space for the other.

The former Marseille man is also showing signs of being more clinical in front of goal. His two excellent strikes against Arsenal showed the kind of quality that Chelsea fans saw little of from the striker after he arrived last summer.

Cynics may claim that the decision has little to do with Batshuayi’s impressive form. Having already missed out on first choice striker Romelu Lukaku, the Blues were forced to turn to Alvaro Morata. Even now, with Diego Costa set to leave, the club will need a back-up choice. The Independent claim that Swansea are demanding £30 million for Fernando Llorente and, with the club reluctant to pay such a fee, keeping Batshuayi is the more convenient choice.

Just what kind of role Batshuayi will have to play next season remains to be seen. If they do make another addition in attack, it may not be a huge shock if he does still leave on loan. If not, he will be hoping to contribute more than he did on his first attempt last season.