Breaking News: Chelsea could miss out on £60m pay day after letting Man Utd target leave on a free
Breaking News: Chelsea could miss out on £60m pay day after letting Man Utd target leave on a free
Chelsea and Manchester City could be left kicking themselves as they miss out on a potential £60m windfall, having let Michael Olise slip through their fingers. Despite an injury-riddled season, the French forward has been making waves at Crystal Palace in 2023/24, netting six times in just 12 Premier League outings.
Manchester United have set their sights on Olise, with the club poised to benefit from the fresh influx of cash following the arrival of new minority stakeholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The starlet reportedly has a £60million release clause in his contract with the Eagles, which doesn’t run out until 2026.
United manager Erik ten Hag is said to be eager to bring in Olise as a replacement for Anthony Martial, who is expected to depart Old Trafford on a free transfer this summer. Jadon Sancho is also likely to be shown the door once his loan stint at Borussia Dortmund comes to an end.
However, the current rumours highlight the apparent oversight by two of United’s top-flight rivals. Olise, a former French Under-21 international, spent seven years at Chelsea before being let go in 2016 when he was only 14, subsequently joining City.
He was only with the academy for a mere 12 months until he was found to be not needed. His career then took him to Reading which didn’t just salvage his professional status but also brought about an ironic twist of fate – he subsequently drew interest from both Chelsea and City, reports the Express.
Palace are sat uncomfortably at 14th place in the Premier League rankings and their chairman Steve Parish surely knows staying in the top flight is crucial to keep tight hold of Olise. The team’s struggles have been largely blamed on Olises recurring fitness concerns; he has been grounded by hamstring injuries three different times.
He was back on the pitch last Saturday coming on as a second-half substitute in the brutal 4-2 defeat to City and put on quite a show in his short 16-minute appearance. Earlier this year, then-manager Roy Hodgson emphasised the need for the club to retain their hot prospect.
With regard to Olise’s future, he admitted, “My thoughts are (it) would be a sad day for the club. I am certain the club would like him to honour his deal and to improve the team around players like him. We need to make the team stronger and not lose them to other Premier League clubs who are putting some money on the table.”
Subsequently, Oliver Glasner has taken over from Hodgson as manager, and Olise played under him for the first time in the City match.
