Arsenal and Chelsea could battle it out for the signature of Michael Olise, but the Blues could have the upper hand in negotiations.
According to 90min, Michael Olise is a target for London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea this summer. Manchester City also hold an interest, but the Capital giants may have a bigger say in his transfer. There is a £35 million release clause in his contract that makes things trickier for Crystal Palace.
Michael Olise has proven his worth as a Premier League footballer during his two seasons at Crystal Palace. The North London side are not actively looking to sell the winger this summer and want to offer him a new deal to get rid of the reported £35 million release clause in his contract.
At that price, it is a mouthwatering prospect for any of the top Premier League sides to swoop in for the French youth international. Arsenal and Manchester City have shown an interest before, but none have come forward with any big approaches.
Fabrizio Romano’s tweet on Sunday indicated Chelsea also maintained an interest and mentioned the £35 million release clause. He also spoke about Manchester City’s admiration of the winger, as they might look at him to replace Riyad Mahrez.
However, Arsenal and Chelsea may have the upper hand in negotiations for Olise, while the report on 90min insists the Blues may have an even better chance considering their relations with the player’s family. The Crystal Palace winger’s brother, Richard Olise, remains on the books of the Stamford Bridge outfit, which is deemed good enough to launch a move for the French youth international.
Chelsea are looking for a player with a Premier League pedigree and wants a sufficient creator. Since joining Crystal Palace, Olise has put up excellent numbers and became their first-ever player to register ten assists in a league season.
Chelsea may have a settled set of players operating on the right wing with Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke. However, with Olise, they can have an edge with their attacking setup, and the £35 million release clause makes matters easier.
What makes it difficult is the impending interest from Arsenal, who have kept watch on Olise’s development. Mikel Arteta admires the player, but he may not feature at the very top of his shortlist. Mohammed Kudus is a target for the Gunners, and multiple reports have suggested they have held concrete talks to sign him.
In fact, Kudus is reportedly open to joining Arsenal over other suitors, possibly even Chelsea. David Ornstein of The Athletic broke last week’s news about the Blues holding key talks with Ajax. But nothing seems to have moved forward.
Hence, it is clear that both Arsenal and Chelsea are keen on signing an attacker and will take value in his current price tag. Olise could also open his doors to a top-six move. In this particular race, Chelsea may have the edge, as the Gunners may focus on Kudus, who offers a more versatile profile than the £35 million-rated French youth international.
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