Chelsea have reportedly contacted Crystal Palace over a move for Michael Olise this summer, according to the Daily Mail.
The Blues have been interested in the 22-year-old attacker for a while and were keen on signing him last summer. But he decided to stay in South London and signed a new deal with the Eagles.
Chelsea are not ready to give up on Olise and have renewed their interest in the Palace wideman.
The France youth international had a stellar campaign last season, bagging ten goals and six assists in 19 Premier League games.
Olise recorded 0.64 goals per 90, putting him in the 99th percentile for wingers in the top five European leagues. He also records excellent creation numbers.
An underrated aspect of Olise’s game is his defensive contribution. The Palace man is always ready to put in a shift to help his team.
His impressive showings have attracted interest from the Blues, who are keen on adding him to their talented squad.
However, Olise has a complicated release clause in his contract, and Chelsea are trying to ascertain the figure. Palace value him at £60 million though.
Interestingly, Manchester United also want the former Reading attacker as new part-owners INEOS look to establish their footballing plans.
With Antony faltering since his €100 million move from Ajax, United are keen on adding a potent right winger to their squad and have identified Olise as a target.
Pulling off a deal is another question, with the club struggling financially. The Red Devils reportedly have only £50 million in the coffers this summer. They need to sell before they can buy.
Chelsea are better placed to sign the Hammersmith-born forward and will be desperate to get the deal over the line to avoid a repeat of what happened last summer.
Olise might just return to the club he featured for as a young player trying to develop.
He was part of Chelsea’s Cobham academy for seven years between 2009 and 2016, before moving on to Manchester City and then Reading, before eventually joining Crystal Palace in 2021.