Man Utd refuse to meet £59m release clause of PL star, Chelsea ahead in transfer race - report
Manchester United are not ready to trigger the €70 million (£59m) release clause to sign Crystal Palace sensation Michael Olise, according to Foot Mercato.
Chelsea are ‘frontrunners’ in the transfer battle with the Blues pushing hard to sign Olise this summer.
The Palace winger has attracted interest from several clubs and looks set to depart from Selhurst Park.
He had an injury-plagued 2023/24 season where he had to wait till mid of November to make his first appearance of the campaign.
He bagged ten goals and six assists in 19 Premier League appearances.
Olise’s transfer is exciting but United have other priorities
Man United’s priority is to strengthen their defence which looks vulnerable after Raphael Varane’s departure.
They could even buy two centre-backs after recent injury struggles. They also need an upgrade in midfield after Casemiro’s abysmal 2023/24 campaign.
Rasmus Hojlund is the only senior striker left in the United squad. They are eyeing a move for Bologna forward Joshua Zirkzee to provide quality cover to Denmark international.
The Red Devils do not have an extravagant transfer budget in the first place. They must sell players to receive a boost on their transfer budget.
There is no doubt that Olise is a terrific player and would improve the United squad.
He prefers to cut inside from right-wing and always tries to be creative with the ball at his feet.
He looked head and shoulders above when compared to other Crystal Palace players. The 22-year-old is looking like a player capable of making a difference for any of the top six clubs in the Premier League.
United will almost certainly cash in on Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood. The latter has been the talk of the town, with multiple clubs hoping to recruit his services.
There are big question marks over Olise’s fitness. He missed 18 games last season due to hamstring injuries.
Chelsea are keen to secure his services and they could be successful in their pursuit if United do not speed up their chase.