Arsenal and Man Utd handed boost in hopes of beating Chelsea to £60m sensation

The summer transfer window officially opens today, June 14, and Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United have been handed a huge boost in the race for Crystal Palace star Michael Olise’s signature.

Olise is one of three primary Palace stars set to make the headline this summer, with clubs across the Premier League and Europe interested in the French winger, Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta following a phenomenal second half of the 2023/24 campaign.

However, while Chelsea had been believed to be in prime position to bring the French U21 international to Stamford Bridge and were prepared to trigger the required £60 million release clause in Olise’s contract, the latest reports from The Times have suggested that the release clause may only apply to clubs in the Champions League, thus ruling out the Blues.

The west London club have had a long-standing interest in Olise and thought they had triggered his £35m release clause last summer. It soon emerged, however, that the winger had in fact signed a new four-year contract at Palace until 2027. Second time around, they continue to be desperate to beat the other interested parties which are reported to include Arsenal, Liverpool and both Manchester clubs with all suggested to have made contact with the Selhurst Park this week.

However, with Olise eager to play in the 2024/25 Champions League campaign, he may once again snub the interest from Stamford Bridge in favour of Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City or Bayern Munich - another club reported to be moving in for the ex-Reading star.

According to the Mirror, the Blues are, however, not to be deterred by their lack of Champions League football and will continue to chase the in-form forward.

Olise, 22, has been part of an electric attack at Palace, scoring ten goals in just 14 league starts and contributing six assists during a season interrupted by two hamstring injures. The London-born star has also been named in France’s preliminary squad for this summer’s Olympic Games (July 24- August 9).

The numerous clubs interested in Olise are said to be keen to secure a deal ahead of the impending Olympics, taking place in Paris, and not only does the aforementioned release clause include a £60m payment, but it is also said to involve payments being made to the winger’s former club, Reading, as well as the player himself.

If a move for Olise does not take place this summer, the 22-year-old will then have to wait again if he wishes to be represented by his long-term agent Glen Tweneboah. Tweneboah was handed a six-month ban by the FA last month which will begin on October 4 this year after he was found to have breached FA regulations during Olise’s stint at Reading in 2019. The agent was found to have agreed to be eligible for a 10 per cent cut of the Palace star’s future transfer fee, which is prohibited.