Chelsea are interested in signing Crystal Palace midfielder Michael Olise this summer, but face competition from Manchester City, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
How old is Michael Olise?
The 21-year-old has arguably become one of Palace's most important players, especially now that Wilfried Zaha has departed for Galatasaray. His technical quality and dribbling ability have caught the eye so often in recent years, with a stunning late free-kick at home to Manchester United last season arguably one of the standout goals of the campaign.
In 2022/23, Olise featured in 37 of the Eagles' 38 Premier League games, starting 31 of them, registering an impressive 11 assists and also scoring twice. That outlines what a key man he already is at such a tender age, and Palace fans no doubt see him as the future of the club, alongside Eberechi Eze.
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That being said, the south Londoners might find it difficult to keep hold of the France youth international this summer, should a bid come in from one of the Premier League's biggest clubs. Chelsea have been linked with a move for him already, and it looks as though their interest is not going away.
Could Chelsea sign Michael Olise?
Taking to Twitter, Romano confirmed that Chelsea and City are both eyeing a summer move for Olise, with a release clause of around £35m in his contract:
"Release clause confirmed. Man City and Chelsea interest confirmed. Olise, one to follow in the next days/weeks."
This is an exciting prospect for Chelsea supporters, considering Olise is arguably one of the most talented young players around currently, possessing such a silky style of play but also producing consistent end product.
To have already got 16 assists in the Premier League at the age of just 21 says so much about his quality in the final third, and that should only go up a gear as he ages, and if he surrounded by superior teammates than the ones at Palace.
One of Olise's current colleagues, Joel Ward, has also made it clear how highly he thinks of him as a player, recently saying:
“Michael’s a special talent. The world’s his oyster and he’s just getting better and better from game to game, so I think he’s going to go onto new heights and set the bar. If he continues that way, he’s going to go on to special things."
Olise really could be a gem of an addition at Chelsea, providing strong competition for the current wide and central attacking options, from Raheem Sterling to Nicolas Jackson, and his ability to cuts inside from the right onto his deadly left foot can be a real weapon for the Blues.
Mauricio Pochettino has always been a keen advocate of youth during his managerial career, if he feels he can get the very best out of the Palace star, it is a move that Chelsea must try and get over the line. The competition that City are providing is a potential stumbling block, but it would be harder for Olise to start more regularly at the Etihad, which could help the Blues.
