So let’s imagine Batshuayi goes off now and bags a hatful of goals. We have no agreement in place to buy him so almost certainly we don’t get him for next year.

Meanwhile our other strikers haven’t been getting game time and god knows we need to get the likes of benteke and Wickham firing, assuming the latter can stay on the pitch for more than 10 seconds.

We had a huge RLC sized hole in our midfield at the start of this season and his loss definitely affected us. I fear we face the same issue at the start of next season if Batshuayi turns out to be the goal scorer we need.

Loaning players you are unlikely to be able to sign is possibly the most short term thinking in the game today.

I hope he does well for us but we must address our problems if and when we lose the guy. If we get a good offer for benteke I would be biting their hand off at this stage, and wouldn’t be sad to see Wickham go either.

Those funds must be invested wisely, as we can little afford another donkey like Sorloth for almost 10 mil.

Trump lost. Badly. Hahahahahahaha.

Needs must and all that. Hopefully the clear out of the dead wood in January is an indication of something approaching a strategy and we'll be able to buy in the summer.

Keep loaning players doesn't solve the long term problem we have with both squad depth and replacing key players when they move on. It's a plaster on a crack in a dam, which cynically I think suits Parish.

One who is loaned out keeps scoring - did it in an important match last week - Sørloth! He will be ready for next season!

Norway

Apart from Chelski's transfer ban - they can't sign anyone which is probably why they wouldn't sell Batshuayi (or anyone else decent) at the end of the season.

Will this be five? It's gonna be five! It IS five!

Batshuayi was the signalling of the end of the Benteke project.

Hodgson has probably known for 2 seasons that he is not a good Striker anymore and Parish, whilst he may have known deep down, probably wanted to give the big investment as long as possible and first half of this season in the desperate hope he comes good.

Parish doing this for Roy and the club, even short term is saying that we now have no fit-for-purpose Strikers.

I don't believe Batshuayi leaves, along with Ayew and we stick with Benteke, Wickham and Sorloth next season.

The club knows we need a Striker, in the short term we just need to stay in the Prem hence the scrambling for the last minute loan deal. Surely in the Summer, all we will be targeting is the perm deal Striker, be it Batshuayi or someone else.

They'll appeal that and use the opportunity to offload players and rinse 200m on new signings.

Knowing they're on a deadline and have to get deals done would work in a buyer's favour, could get RLC or Bats for fair value.