Chelsea is known for being ever so busy during the transfer windows. Already, the London side have signed Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo. Michael Olise was another priority for Chelsea this summer.
Michael Olise’s current contract with Crystal Palace includes a release clause set at £60 million. According to The Athletic, the interested clubs are meant to strike a deal first with Crystal Palace before approaching Olise’s camp.
Chelsea and Manchester United were among the first clubs to show interest in signing the winger.
However, Michael Olise reportedly rejected Chelsea’s bid. The winger has instead decided to join Bayern Munich, according to reports.
🚨🔴 Bayern have informed Crystal Palace already yesterday about formal process to trigger the release clause for Michael Olise.
◉ £45m fixed fee for Crystal Palace.
◉ £5m in add-ons also part of deal.Personal terms agreed yesterday over five year deal.
Here we go! ⭐️🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/BmZ6gNUgWu
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 22, 2024
Whilst Chelsea may not look like a squad in desperate need of a winger, there would have been an advantage to securing Olise.
Premier League Proven
Ever since the January transfer window in 2023, Chelsea has signed players who are young and largely inexperienced. Since then, most of the players signed to the club had little to no Premier League experience and/or first-team football experience in the clubs they came from before joining Chelsea.
Not to mention, Chelsea does not sign any players above the age of 26. Last season, the only players over 26 were Thiago Silva (39), Raheem Sterling (29) and Ben Chillwell (27). This was heavily reflected in Chelsea’s performances in the previous two seasons.
Michael Olise is only 22, and therefore another young addition to the infant squad. However, he is Premier League-proven as he has competed in the league since 2021 when he joined Crystal Palace from Reading. At Reading, he was one to watch, and he proved his worth when he got the chance to play in England’s top flight. He has since managed 14 goals and 22 assists in the Premier League and has been on an upward trajectory.
Olise is a creative player, not afraid to shoot from afar and a player who thrives during set pieces. Chelsea has a relatively short squad, but with Olise’s brilliant crosses into the box, he would have been a fruitful addition to the team. He is similar to Palmer in the sense that every pass is done with purpose. Another similarity is that he is able to break open games and win on his own, and he is also a player who tends to thrive under chaos.
Had he joined Chelsea, he would be one of the more experienced players in the squad. However, there would have been some complications had he joined the Blues.
Spoiled For Choice?
It does not go without saying that new head coach Enzo Maresca would have enjoyed a privilege that Mauricio Pochettino did not. Maresca would have been spoiled for choice, with having two high-quality players available in his squad in similar roles. Maresca does have the privilege of having most of his squad with a full season in the Premier League.
However, there would have been a somewhat ugly side to this ‘complication’.
A problem would have probably surfaced had Chelsea succeeded in signing Olise this summer. Olise is a left-footed winger, as are Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke. This might have pushed Madueke to be the third choice on the right, and it might have seen Palmer’s role change too. With Christopher Nkunku’s return, it would have been quite the task for Maresca to position him alongside Palmer and Olise. It may have determined Madueke’s future as well.
According to reports, Olise rejected a move to Stamford Bridge because they did not meet his demand for his wage. Whilst talent is an obvious indicator as to whether a player would fit in a squad, so is passion for the badge.