Michy Batshuayi will not be departing Chelsea on loan despite struggling to carve out a role in the side, Antonio Conte has said.
The Belgian striker was expected to lead the Chelsea line for the first time in a Premier League game on Boxing Day, with Diego Costa suspended for the visit of Bournemouth to Stamford Bridge. However Conte chose to play without a recognised striker, only turning to Batshuayi in second half stoppage time.
A £33million summer arrival from Marseille Batshuayi has managed just 76 minutes of Premier League football at Chelsea, leading to speculation that West Ham, a suitor for his signature in the summer, could look to end his West London purgatory with a loan move in January.
However Conte repeatedly said “no” when asked whether he would consider allowing Batshuayi to depart on a short-term move.
"This player is a new player for Chelsea and to go on loan now is a defeat for the club and above all for me," Conte said after his side’s 3-0 win over Bournemouth.
"We have to continue to work with him every day to try together to improve him.
"I want to win and every decision I make is because I want to win and I have to take the best decision.
"Michy Batshuayi is a really good player, but he's a young player and he's trying to adapt to this league, this football.
"I try to make the best decision for the team, but I'm sure Michy could be the possibility to show his talent in the future."
In Pictures | Chelsea vs Bournemouth | 26/12/2016
Batshuayi seemed to offer a more cryptic response to speculation over his future, tweeting after his omission thanking his followers for their “continuous support and messages”, using the hashtags “chin up” and “keep strong”.
