West Ham were thought to have made enquiries earlier this year for the striker but Batshuayi is out of contract next summer so the Hammers are unwilling to pay a large fee.
Instead, The Athletic suggest the Belgian could be used in a player-plus-cash offer in order to secure the signing of Rice.
A new central midfielder is a low priority for Chelsea in the upcoming window but Rice is thought to be on the club’s radar and would supposedly cost between £50m and £60m.
The Blues would therefore have to shell out a significant sum in addition to Batshuayi, but the financial strain would be less – an important consideration in a market impacted by the coronavirus crisis.
However, it is pointed out that Batshuayi’s time-keeping and tactical knowledge are all potential issues that would put teams off investing in the Chelsea ace.