Michy Batshuayi advised to leave Chelsea for West Ham in January transfer window

Chelsea forward Michy Batshuayi has been urged to join West Ham United during the January transfer window, having made an indifferent start to life at Stamford Bridge. The Belgium international has not made a single Premier League start this term and has scored just six goals in 17 appearances in all competitions since arriving from Marseille.

Batshuayi, who moved to West London for £33m (€38m) according to the Daily Mail, was handed his first start since October against League One Peterborough United in the FA Cup. Although the 23-year-old scored the second in a comfortable 4-1 Blues win, he wasted several opportunities during a 90 minutes laden with chances. Antonio Conte has been coy over the future of the forward but appears likely to add to his attack in the window.

The Daily Telegraph reported last week that Swansea City forward Fernando Llorente is being lined up as a deputy to the Premier League's top scorer Diego Costa, with Conte unwilling to put Chelsea's fate in the title race in the hands of the inexperienced Batshuayi. That speculation have been followed by a Sky Sports report suggesting West Ham want to bring Batshuayi to East London – a move Tony Cottee believes would be worthwhile.

"He [Batshuayi] has gone to Chelsea and has not been given a chance. There's one simple reason for that and that's Diego Costa," the ex-Hammer told Sky Sports. "When he's fit, he plays – and Batshuayi is on the bench and not going to be given his chance.

"This lad needs to go out and play, if he's not going to play at Chelsea and get some fitness. He's a good player and he's a good finisher. But he will be suffering from a lack of fitness and a lack of sharpness because he hasn't played." West Ham have also been linked with a move for Brentford's Scott Hogan to cure their attacking crisis, with the Championship side demanding £15m after rejecting three bids, according to The Evening Standard.

"I have seen Scott play a couple of times, I normally like to watch a player for five or six games to make a real assessment of them," he added. "But, from whenever I have seen him, the one thing I have been impressed with is his movement. I think he's got terrific movement and he likes to get in behind defenders, something that West Ham have been missing. I think they would both be good signings for West Ham."