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Athletic’s David Ornstein has hinted at who Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise could sign and it’s not good news for Manchester United.
Olise is believed to be United’s main target ahead of the summer transfer window.
In 2023/24, the winger plundered 10 goals and six assists in 19 Premier League appearances – an impressive return considering how injury-ravaged his campaign has been.
United are thought to be the frontrunners to secure Olise’s services as the Frenchman is a boyhood fan of the club. However, Chelsea are also chasing him and are said to be “bullish” about their chances of landing him after failing to land him last summer.
However, according to Ornstein speaking on The Athletic FC Podcast, other clubs such as Manchester City and Liverpool are also tracking Olise and could enter the fray for him.
If that happens, it could spell trouble for the Red Devils, as according to the reporter, Olise would most likely prefer to join a club that can offer him Champions League football.
Ornstein said of the 22-year-old’s future and his transfer situation: “I think this will be one of the fascinating narratives as the market develops, because of course there are a lot of top players and he is one of them. Few have release clauses, but he does. By all accounts, it’s not a stretch – relatively speaking – for the quality of player he is.”
“The key thing here is that in a market of such uncertainty in terms of valuation, and especially the leading players, to have a player who has a clause and it’s not ridiculous, it brings a bit of clarity to clubs when they look at their budgets and who they might want to target or not.”
“Olise has fans throughout the game and at the very top level. We’ve seen links with Manchester United, maybe Manchester City too, Chelsea went for him last summer and could try again. You wouldn’t be surprised if other top clubs like Liverpool – they’ve been rumoured – and even Arsenal’s name thrown in the hat, like Paris Saint-Germain… the biggest clubs in world football.”
Ornstein added: “It puts Olise in a very strong position because ultimately, if and when these offers come and Crystal Palace are forced to accept because of the clause, he will have his pick of many of the leading lights in world football. All I hear about Olise is that he is a careful guy, very intelligent and calm. He really thinks these things through in his head and he’s not going to jump into rash decisions.”
“He might end up deciding he wants to stay at Palace… I don’t think there’s any guarantee he’ll move, but there’s talk of someone he could move.”
Ornstein went on to state that Olise has the talent to make it to the top, provided he stays fit and injury free.
“This is someone that there’s a sense that you should be targeting as much as possible. I always believed that the Champions League was the step he would take after leaving Palace. It doesn’t rule out a really exciting project and if he’s talking to say United and he really likes what he’s hearing and the numbers are right and it all adds up, then there’s something going on.”
Ornstein went on to warn that if Champions League clubs were within his reach and it was a stable prospect, then it was an opportunity he would be inclined to accept.
This is especially so as the London-born striker would be leaving something to do under Oliver Glasner at Selhurst Park. If so, he would love to go somewhere to fight for the biggest trophies and club honours.
Finally, Ornstein reiterated on the podcast that if he had to guess, Olise would prefer to switch to an outfit already in the Champions League, although nothing is set in stone.
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