Chelsea are stepping up their efforts to bulk out their squad before the Premier League season begins in just under three weeks as Mauricio Pochettino is eyeing a move for Crystal Palace starlet Michael Olise.
Have Chelsea made a bid for Michael Olise?
RMC Sport journalist Fabrice Hawkins has stated that the Stamford Bridge outfit have made an offer to sign Olise, tweeting: “Chelsea made a first offer to Crystal Palace to recruit Michael Olise.
“Offer less than 45 million euros including bonus. The player is seduced by the Blues project. In principle he agrees to go to Chelsea even if there are always negotiations.”
A fee of €45 (£39m) sounds like it could be a bargain, especially considering the winger has another three years left on his current contract at Palace.
With a grand total of £219m raised from selling players this summer, Pochettino has some money to play with, and it looks as though his next move could perhaps come from closer to home, having signed Christopher Nkunku from the Bundesliga and Nicolas Jackson from La Liga.
Should Chelsea sign Michael Olise?
The signing of the Palace man could be just what is needed to help oust Hakim Ziyech from Stamford Bridge this summer. The Moroccan international looked set for a move away from Chelsea, yet he failed his medical at Al-Nassr and Pochettino will need to find another potential suitor for the right-winger.
The former Ajax man endured a woeful season during 2022/23, registering just three assists and scoring zero goals in 24 games across all competitions whilst also ranking in a lowly 11th position for successful dribbles (0.8) and 12th for key passes (0.8) per game in the league last term. This clearly indicates that he struggled to assert any sort of positive influence on the side.
Olise in comparison, ranked fourth for successful dribbles (1.5) and first for key passes (1.9) per game during the league season, showcasing his creative talents and there is no doubt that he would be a major upgrade on the 30-year-old for Pochettino to have at his disposal next term.
Not only did Olise register more domestic goal contributions than the Chelsea winger (13 to three), but also more shots on target per 90 (0.45 to 0.34) and more shot-creating actions per 90 (4.68 to 4.36) which clearly suggests just how effective he has been over the previous 365 days.
The English-born youngster also ranked in the top 7% across Europe’s big five leagues for assists per 90 (0.36) and demonstrated that creativity isn’t his only strength, ranking in the top 15% for tackles (1.9), blocks (1.51) and interceptions (0.85) per 90, expressing his ability to win the ball back on a constant basis and helping his team out when they are out of possession.
Lauded as “outstanding” alongside teammate Eberechi Eze back in April by former professional Clinton Morrison, it’s clear that the French U21 international has been a far more consistent performer over the previous 12 months than Ziyech.
There might not be another right-winger on the market for that sort of value who offers as much as Olise, both from an attacking and defensive point of view and Pochettino should be wrapping a potential move up as soon as possible.