Chelsea will not let Michy Batshuayi and Olivier Giroud ‘walk out the door’ in January transfer window

CHELSEA will not let Michy Batshuayi and Olivier Giroud “walk out the door” in the January transfer window.

That is despite both players being linked with moves away from the club due to a lack of game time with Tammy Abraham in red-hot form.

Batshuayi and Giroud are both thought to be targets for Aston Villa this month after Dean Smith lost record signing Wesley Moraes for the rest of the season with a serious knee injury.

Meanwhile Crystal Palace, West Ham, Juventus, Rangers, Bordeaux, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan reportedly want Frenchman Giroud, who won the World Cup in 2018 and is out of contract at the end of the current campaign.

But assistant boss Jody Morris – who stepped into media duties with Frank Lampard hit by a bug doing the rounds at Cobham – played down talk of the pair leaving, recognising their importance within the squad.

Asked on a potential departure for Giroud, Morris said: “He still plays for Chelsea.

“We can’t just let players walk out the door if we’re going to be short somewhere.

“We need to look at individuals but he’s been a class act and a top professional. I don’t envisage there being any problems in that regard.

“Everyone is valuable. We’ve viewed every single player as a valuable asset. You never know what can happen with injuries or form.”

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Chelsea had their transfer embargo lifted by Fifa before the January window opened, enabling them to sign players again after their summer ban.

SunSport revealed the club have cooled their interest in Jadon Sancho for now but are still keen to bring in a striker, especially if Batshuayi or Giroud are sold.

RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner is one target, although a deal in January seems unlikely, while the Blues could go after Moussa Dembele from Lyon, Inter star Gabigol or CSKA Moscow’s Fyodor Chalov.

Speaking about any potential arrivals, Morris added: “There’s a couple of areas you’d be looking at but it will all depend on what the movements are from within the club as well.

“I’m not as privy to those conversations as the manager is but I’m sure there’s a little bit of work going on behind the scenes.

“Any movements or anybody brought in or going out the door will need to be for the benefit of the club and improve the squad.

“There isn’t any point in bringing anybody in that isn’t going to improve us and I know that the manager and powers that be are looking at those.”