TEAMtalk can reveal Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise has verbally agreed personal terms with Chelsea who are prepared to pay above the odds to seal a deal.
The Stamford Bridge side tried and failed to sign the Palace winger last summer, but despite triggering his then £35m release clause, the ex-Reading man put pen to paper on a new contract that ran until 2027 at Selhurst Park.
That was off the back of scoring two goals and bagging 11 assists in 40 appearances in all competitions for the Eagles; but this season, his value has skyrocketed.
The France Under-21 international – whose current release clause is understood to be £60m – missed much of the campaign with hamstring injuries. Nonetheless, the 22-year-old left-footer still managed to register 10 goals and six assists in just 19 Premier League matches.
After initially looking like his £60m price tag was rather steep, Olise may be seen as something of a bargain if he continues that output going forward.
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It is widely known that Chelsea are in talks with Palace over the transfer of Olise and are pushing to get a deal done before they face competition from other clubs. Indeed, Newcastle and Bayern Munich have both made Crystal Palace aware of their interest.
However, Todd Boehly’s team, who finished sixth in the Premier League last term, have made a breakthrough in the last 24 hours and confidence is growing they will be the ones to land Olise this summer.
Olise ‘happy’ with Chelsea offer
Now, TEAMtalk can reveal Olise has told Chelsea he is happy with the proposals they have put forward and has duly given his verbal approval to the terms on offer.
He is still open to listening to offers from rival suitors, but the plans in place from the Blues are attractive to one of the most coveted players in the Premier League right now.
Chelsea’s confidence is also growing due to the fact a number of sources do not believe that Manchester United can afford to match the release clause and the likelihood is that it will be a final fee above the £60m price point.
The Blues board and sporting directors also have extensive experience in pulling off these types of deals and they hope to strike a similar arrangement that landed them Enzo Fernandez – who joined from Benfica for a £107m in early 2023.
Chelsea, who are preparing for life under Enzo Maresca after parting company with former manager Mauricio Pochettino, are keen to pay a hefty fee upfront, but will use structured payments to finalise a transfer worth over £60m.
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Palace star seen as ‘game-changing’ talent
There is a understanding within the club that Olise is a “game-changing” target and someone who would be a big step in the right direction as part of the club’s wider project.
They also believe he fits in perfectly to the current youthful squad, which had an average age of 24 years and 280 days for their typical starting XI, and is the one who will take them to the next level.
Olise is also friends with a number of the first team players at the club and has strong relations due to the fact his brother is in the academy and has just signed a contract extension at Cobham, keeping him at the club for the foreseeable future.
Manchester United remain keen to land the electric winger, but do have other priorities in the market, such as trying to land the likes of centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite from Everton.