Chelsea Closing In on Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise Ahead of Premier League Rivals
In a significant development in the world of football transfers, Chelsea are reportedly closer to signing Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise than their Premier League rivals Manchester United. This news comes as the London-based club pushes to secure the highly-rated Frenchman’s services.
Chelsea had previously attempted to sign Olise during last year’s summer transfer window, and a £35 million deal was on the verge of being completed. However, the player ultimately committed to Crystal Palace by signing a new contract.
Despite being hampered by injuries during the 2023/24 campaign, Olise finished the season strongly, contributing ten goals and four assists in his 19 Premier League appearances. This impressive performance has further piqued the interest of Chelsea, who are determined to secure his signature.
While Olise recently signed a contract extension with Crystal Palace, it is reported that a release clause is included in the new deal, making a summer exit likely.
Chelsea remain keenly interested in the winger, but they are not expected to have a free run at him, as he has also been linked with Manchester United and Arsenal.
Earlier this week, Olise’s proposed move to Chelsea appeared to move a step closer as he reportedly ‘agreed terms’ with the Premier League giants. However, it was noted that Chelsea still had work to do to finalize the deal. There have even been claims that the Blues could face a potential hijack, as Olise ‘wants’ to join rivals Manchester United.
Despite these rumors, a new report from 90min suggests that Chelsea are ‘more advanced’ than Manchester United in the race to sign Olise from Crystal Palace. It is noted that Olise’s release clause is a ‘complex’ one, worth between £60-65 million, and Manchester United ‘are yet to formally take their interest’ to Palace, as a striker, centre-back, left-back, and midfielder are ‘bigger positional priorities’ for the club at the moment.
While Manchester United may not be in a rush to pursue Olise, this could hand Chelsea an advantage, as they had previously failed to trigger the complicated £35 million release clause in the player’s previous contract. The Blues are now ‘intent on signing a new winger’ and are ‘moving fast to try and get a deal done’ for Olise.
With the summer transfer window just around the corner, football enthusiasts can expect more developments in this captivating saga as Chelsea and their Premier League rivals vie for the signature of the talented Crystal Palace winger.
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