Chelsea have made contact with Crystal Palace in an attempt to steal a march in the race to sign Michael Olise and find out more about the winger’s release clause.
Olise, who is understood to be open to the move, also has interest from Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle.
Chelsea, who are in talks over the Aston Villa striker Jhon Durán, tried to sign Olise from Palace last summer and are trying to be proactive with their transfer plans in attack. They have approached Palace again over a deal for Olise, whose contract is believed to contain a release clause of about £60m.
A potential difficulty for Chelsea is that there have been suggestions the clause is higher for clubs not in the Champions League – they will play in the Europa Conference League next season. However, a well-placed source claimed Chelsea would have an excellent chance of finalising personal terms with Olise if they can agree a fee.
Chelsea were close to signing the 22-year-old 12 months ago, only for their plans to be derailed when he signed a new four-year deal. It is understood United have been monitoring the situation since January, although it is unclear whether they will have a big transfer budget. United are said to be prioritising a centre-back and a defensive midfielder before they move on to attacking targets.
Olise, who scored 10 goals in 19 appearances this past season, has emerged as one of the brightest young talents in the Premier League. He has made stunning progress since moving in 2021 from Reading to Palace, who have not lost hope of keeping him.
There is an acceptance at Selhurst Park, though, that a sale is likely. Palace are also anticipating interest in two of their England internationals, Marc Guéhi and Eberechi Eze. The feeling is that Olise is the likeliest of the trio to leave.
Chelsea are also hoping to bring in a striker and are expected to sign Durán. Villa value the Colombia international at £40m but Chelsea are aiming to drive the fee down. They had targeted Benjamin Sesko, but the Slovenia forward is staying at RB Leipzig.
Villa have held talks with Chelsea over a move for Conor Gallagher, who is also wanted by Tottenham. But Gallagher, who has a year on his deal, is determined to focus on helping England win Euro 2024.
“This is the most important thing right now for me, for the country and I just want to start the tournament now,” the midfielder said. “I’m a Chelsea player right now and I am just focused on England and the tournament.”
