Arsenal Transfer News: West Ham Ready for Michy Batshuayi Battle, Latest Rumours

West Ham United are reportedly ready to rival Arsenal and Tottenham for the services of Olympique Marseille striker Michy Batshuayi and will make the Belgium international their top priority for the summer transfer window.

According to the Sun's Duncan Wright, scouts have been watching the 22-year-old for some time now, and the Hammers are confident they can beat the Gunners and Spurs to the player thanks to their great relationship with Marseille. Last summer, the Ligue 1 side sold them star midfielder Dimitri Payet.

They're hoping a £20 million bid will do and will attempt to conclude their business before the end of the season, avoiding a bidding war with their Premier League rivals. If all goes to plan, Batshuayi would become the marquee signing the Hammers would celebrate their move to a new stadium with.

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Bathsuayi is enjoying a sensational breakout campaign in France and has already scored 12 goals and added seven assists in 21 Ligue 1 starts, per WhoScored.com. Those numbers would be impressive on their own, but in light of Marseille's struggles, they stand out even more. The Belgian isn't carrying the team on his own, but he's not getting much help, either.

Here's a look at some of his highlights:

Batshuayi has always been regarded as a remarkable talent, but he seems to have made a mental switch since moving to France. While he was with Standard, he was wildly inconsistent and had a tendency to let his emotions get the better of him, and that no longer appears to be the case.

As a result, the powerful striker is living up to his full potential. Blessed with vision, technique, athleticism and deadly instincts, Bathsuayi already looks like a star, despite being just 22 years old.

ESPN FC's Michael Yokhin thinks the sky is the limit:

Batshuayi is at his best on the counter-attack, where he gets to use his pace and vision to find gaps, but he's more than comfortable inside the box or in the air. He can create for himself and score goals from all angles, but his best role is that of a poacher, as he always seems to be in the right place at the right time.

Per Wright, the Gunners have been heavily linked with a move, and it's easy to see why. While Olivier Giroud remains a great forward in his own right, Batshuayi already sits close to the Frenchman as far as raw ability goes, and he has the talent to eclipse Giroud soon.

He would be an automatic starter for West Ham, which will likely be one of the arguments the Hammers try to use to lure him to east London. Batshuayi has to battle the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Christian Benteke and Divock Origi for a spot in Belgium's XI, and in order to win that battle, he needs to play frequently.

Arsenal may be the bigger club, but Batshuayi could follow the example of Benteke and use West Ham as a steppingstone. Benteke established himself as Belgium's choice starter while he was with Aston Villa, before moving to Liverpool. 

Le Parisien's Julien Laurens is convinced Batshuayi will leave Ligue 1 next summer:

If Batshuayi can carry his strong form into Euro 2016 and impress for the national team, his value and exposure will only increase, which may end up hurting West Ham's chances of landing him. Right now, a move to the Hammers would make sense for the youngster, but it's possible he'll believe himself ready for bigger things in six months.

With that in mind, it makes sense for the club to try to arrange a deal before the end of the season, although Marseille will surely sound out Arsenal and Tottenham as well. Batshuayi looks like a future star, so expect his current team to hold out for as high a fee as possible.

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