Chelsea to zero in on £60m Olise
CHELSEA have approached Crystal Palace over a summer swoop for Michael Olise and are willing to include players to sweeten the deal.
The 22-year-old has a complex release clause in his contract, worth up to £60million, which he signed last year after Chelsea failed in attempts to sign him from Selhurst Park.
Chelsea are now trying to confirm the details of Olise’s buy-out clause following their botched move last summer. Manchester United are also interested in Olise but have a limited budget to work with.
Mail Sport understands Chelsea are open to including fringe players in any move for Olise. Armando Broja and Trevoh Chalobah are among those they could use as makeweights in the deal.
Newcastle and Bayern Munich are also keen on Olise, but Chelsea are confident they can land their long-term target. Olise is understood to be keeping his options open but wants a swift resolution to his future before he heads to the Olympics with France next month.
While leaving Selhurst Park is a possibility, sources have indicated the winger has shown a willingness to remain at Palace if the club shows ambition in the transfer market.
Palace are moving to strengthen the squad with moves for Lazio forward Daichi Kamada and Barcelona defender Chadi Riad, and also have a long-term interest in Jobe Bellingham.
Sunderland are determined not to sell Bellingham despite interest from Palace, Tottenham and Brentford.
Mail Sport revealed last week the Olise’s team-mate Eberechi Eze has a minimum release clause of £60m in his contract, while Marc Guehi is being monitored by United and Liverpool among others.
Losing Olise, Eze and Guehi would be a huge blow to boss Oliver Glasner, whose team finished last season so promisingly with a run of six wins from their last seven matches.
Olise certainly appeared to be enjoying his football in the run-in, scoring four goals and laying on three assists in his last six appearances.
Chelsea’s original move for Olise last summer unfolded amid a backdrop of ‘tapping-up’ complaints from Palace. Chelsea submitted an offer that they believed activated Olise’s complicated release clause.
Their revived interest in the winger has aggravated Palace officials, who believe the Stamford Bridge club crossed the line in their attempts to sign the player last summer. Palace officials have communicated their concerns to Chelsea.
Palace felt that Chelsea’s swoop for Olise had contravened transfer rules and etiquette, and was tantamount to an illegal approach.
This summer, however, Chelsea have made a formal request to discuss a potential swoop for Olise with Palace.