'Agreed' - Chelsea to beat Manchester United & Newcastle United to £70m summer signing

Manchester United’s Premier League rivals Chelsea have reportedly agreed personal terms with Crystal Palace forward Michael Olise amid links to Old Trafford.

Olise was strongly linked with a move to Stamford Bridge last summer before penning a new four-year deal at Selhurst Park until the summer of 2027. However, widespread reports have claimed that contract does contain a release clause between £60m-£70m.

GIVEMESPORT reports Chelsea have already agreed personal terms with the player and are now in talks with Palace over paying his release clause. United are said to still be interested in the forward and are free to table their own offer. His agreement with the Blues is only said to be a verbal one, allowing him freedom to change his mind if a different offer comes along. Newcastle United have also been eyeing a move for the player, according to various reports.

Olise made just 19 Premier League appearances last term as he spent time on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury that meant he did not play his first game until November. The same issue also kept him out for another seven games between February and April. He scored 10 goals and provided six assists in the fixtures he did play in what was his best goal-scoring season in the Premier League.

Prior to last term, he had played 63 times in the Premier League with just four goals to his name. The winger came in for high praise from Palace boss Oliver Glasner in May as he scored four goals and provided three assists in his final six games, including a double against United at Selhurst Park.

Glasner said: “I think everybody knows he’s a good player. He’s fit now, I also think we found a very good position for him and he has a lot of individual qualities. He is a brilliant player, a great guy, but he also benefits from other players.”

Olise is not the only Crystal Palace star linked with a summer switch to Old Trafford, as winger Eberechi Eze is also a player reportedly on the club’s radar. However, speaking before the end of the 2023/24 campaign, Eagles boss Glasner revealed his desire to keep hold of the duo.

He said: “I hope all the players will be here. I know the club will do everything to ensure they will play for Crystal Palace next season. I think what we can show from the sports department is that we are ambitious and they can benefit and make a big contribution to being successful. That is what we can offer them, the rest we will see.”

Olise, who hails from London, started his career in the Chelsea academy before moving to Manchester City to be part of their youth set-up. He signed for Reading in 2017 and made his debut for the Royals against Leeds United in March 2019. He scored seven goals and provided 14 assists in 73 games for Reading before signing for Palace in July 2021 for a fee in the region of £8m. His initial deal with Palace was set to run until 2026, as he penned a five-year contract back when he first joined the club.