Batshuayi future at Chelsea up in the air as Palace have no purchase option

The striker will return to Stamford Bridge in the summer as the Eagles do not have any agreement in place to take him on a permanent deal

Michy Batshuayi is set to return to Chelsea at the end of the season, as Goal can confirm Crystal Palace do not have a purchase option as part of their loan agreement.

In any case, Palace cannot afford to sign the 25-year-old in a permanent deal and the Belgian is unsure about remaining at Selhurst Park beyond the end of the current campaign.

There are also doubts about his future at Stamford Bridge and whether he is capable of breaking into the first-team set-up under Maurizio Sarri, who already allowed him to spend the second half of the campaign away from the club.

Sarri is keen to secure the futures of Gonzalo Higuain and Olivier Giroud for another season at least and it seems he isn't totally convinced by Batshuayi's abilities, leaving the striker in limbo as to his future.

Indeed, when the 25-year-old was originally on loan with Valencia in January, it was suggested that Sarri may recall him and integrate him into the first team at Chelsea to help ease his attacking woes.

That was denied by the Italian, however, as he stated he needed "something different", with Higuain eventually being signed on loan from Juventus and Batshuayi joining Palace.

Come the summer, Batshuayi will only have two years left on his Blues contract that he signed upon joining the club from Marseille for £33 million ($43m).

The situation might lead to the Premier League side selling the forward, although it's likely that they'll need to lower their asking price.

Borussia Dortmund had been interested in taking Batshuayi back to Bundesliga, where he spent six months during the 2017-18 campaign, but the Blues' demands were too high for the German club.

Everton are another club that has shown an interest in Batshuayi as they look to add firepower to their attack.

Chelsea could opt to loan out the Belgium international once again, but they might be put off doing so unless they can agree a new contract with the player.

Meanwhile, Sarri's side have begun their Fifa hearing in Zurich as they aim to suspend their transfer ban through the legal processes available.

The Blues are, as things stand, unable to sign players for the next two transfer windows, but they will have the option to appeal to the Court Arbitration of Sport, should their latest appeal be turned down.

On the pitch the west Londoners face Slavia Prague in the Europa League quarter-final before Sunday's trip to Anfield to face Liverpool in the Premier League.