Chelsea loans Batshuayi to Valencia

Michy Batshuayi has agreed to join Spanish club Valencia on a season-long loan from Chelsea. The striker, who spent the second half of last season at Borussia Dortmund, is moving to La Liga in search of regular football.

New Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri could not guarantee Batshuayi he would start games with record signing Alvaro Morata staying at the club.

Having gone to the World Cup with Belgium and impressed at Dortmund, Batshuayi did not want to start this season on the substitutes’ bench.

Chelsea will receive a large loan fee for Batshuayi and have not included an option for Valencia to buy him at the end of the loan.

Batshuayi’s decision to go could mean Tammy Abraham, who has spent the last two seasons on loan at Bristol City and Swansea City, remains at the club.

Aston Villa had been interested in signing Abraham on loan, but he is likely to compete with Morata and Olivier Giroud for a place up front in Sarri’s team.

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Midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko is also expected to move to AC Milan on a season-long loan before the end of the month and Sarri admitted his current squad is too large.

“I think the squad is too large, so I think some players have to go on loan,” said Sarri. “But I don’t know who at the moment. I prefer to have 23 / 24 players, and three or four very young players. No more.”