Chelsea are ahead in the race for Michael Olise as Manchester United’s reluctance to pay his €70 million release clause could prove pivotal.
According to Santi Aouna, Manchester United’s reluctance to trigger the release clause could swing the transfer in Chelsea’s favour in the race to sign Michael Olise. The Crystal Palace winger is destined to leave the club for a bigger challenge, with the West Londoners now seen as favourites to sign him.
Chelsea leading Michael Olise chase
Michael Olise did more than enough to prove that he could be a handful last season despite missing a chunk of the campaign. Either way, the French winger was expected to attract plenty of big offers from Premier League sides, with Manchester United considering him and Jarrad Branthwaite as their top targets.
However, Manchester United are not prepared to pay the release clause in Olise’s contract, which is around the €70 million mark. Should that be the case, then the Red Devils could potentially hand over the onus of the chase to Chelsea, who are extremely keen to sign the winger.
Chelsea have been meaning to ramp up talks for Olise, as there might be an inclination to meet Palace’s demands for the winger. The Blues failed with a move for the Frenchman last summer when the Eagles threatened them with action for the manner of the approach, which eventually led to the London-born playmaker signing a new deal at Selhurst Park with a €70 million release clause.
This time around, things are much clearer from Chelsea’s perspective, who have also thought about a part-exchange deal to reduce the burden of the heavy outlay required to sign Olise. Either way, the Blues are keen to wrap up the signing as soon as possible, as Olise will soon depart for the Olympics, as he is part of Thierry Henry’s squad for the grand event.
Chelsea keen on signing in key attacking positions
Chelsea are eager to wrap up the signing of Michael Olise, and on top of that they are planning on bringing in a new striker. For all the links to some of the big names available in the market, such as Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen, the Blues are once again relying on their transfer strategy of signing young stars.
Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran remains a key target, while they have also seen a bid for Samu Omorodion rejected by Atletico Madrid lately. Overall, these are two positions prioritised by the club for the summer, although they will be alert to more market opportunities when they arrive.
