Man City stunned with Chelsea set to ‘agree terms’ with top target; he has a £35m release clause
Odsonne Edouard, Michael Olise, Roy Hodgson, Eberechi Eze, Crystal Palace after Premier League win against Leeds at Elland Road
Chelsea are reportedly ‘close’ to agreeing personal terms with Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise, who is also a target for Manchester City.
The Blues are set to sign Moises Caicedo for a new British record fee of £115m and they are favourites to bring in Liverpool-linked Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia.
It now seems Mauricio Pochettino is keen to add another attacker to his Chelsea squad, with a deal for Olise reportedly edging closer.
As previously noted by TEAMtalk, both Chelsea and Manchester City hold an interest in signing the 21-year-old this summer.
Olise signed for Crystal Palace from Reading in 2021. He has since made 71 appearances across all competitions, scoring six goals and making 19 assists in the process.
The Frenchman certainly has the potential to become a top player, and it is believed that he has a release clause of £35m in his Crystal Palace contract.
Roy Hodgson is desperate to keep Olise, but if Chelsea or Man City trigger that clause, the Eagles manager won’t be able to stop him leaving this summer.
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Chelsea close to agreeing Olise personal terms
According to StandardSport journalist Nizaar Kinsella (via @DeadlineDayLive), Chelsea are ‘close’ to agreeing personal terms with Olise.
The report adds the Blues ‘hope’ to reach an agreement on a fee with Crystal Palace.
As mentioned, Olise has a release clause worth £35m in his contract, which is relatively cheap for a player with his potential and experience in the Premier League.
Pochettino certainly doesn’t have a shortage of winger options at the moment. Raheem Sterling, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi are all available to play for Chelsea, although the latter two could leave before the transfer window closes.
Olise could be a good long-term signing for the London, so it will be interesting to see if they can get a deal over the line.
As mentioned, however, Man City remain interested in signing the youngster, but they will have to move quickly if they want to beat the Blues to his signature.
If they trigger Olise’s £35m clause, his next destination will ultimately come down to whichever team the player chooses.
Reports suggest Crystal Palace have offered the winger a new contract, too, so remaining at Selhurst Park isn’t completely out of the question, either.
