Manchester United ready to include Aaron Wan-Bissaka as part of swap deal to sign Chelsea target: Reports
Manchester United could reportedly use Aaron Wan-Bissaka as part of a swap deal to sign Chelsea target Michael Olise.
The Crystal Palace winger is known for his playmaking and dribbling skills and is one of the most exciting prospects in his age bracket. Chelsea were supposedly interested in signing him last year and are still keeping track of his progress at Selhurst Park.
According to ESPN (h/t TheChelseaChronicle), Manchester United are also vying for Olise's services and could use Wan-Bissaka as a makeweight in a potential deal. The Red Devils signed the English right-back from the Eagles in the summer of 2019 for a fee of £50 million.
Wan-Bissaka has had his ups and downs in Manchester and is now in competition with Diogo Dalot for a regular starting berth. He has missed a good deal of games with a hamstring injury this season but has still started 13 times across competitions.
Olise, meanwhile, is impressing at Crystal Palace. The 22-year-old Frenchman has registered 11 goals and 20 assists in 80 appearances for the Eagles since joining them from Reading in the summer of 2021.
Under Todd Boehly's ownership, Chelsea have made it a habit of signing young prospects in England and abroad. But Manchester United are also one big-name winger short right now after Jadon Sancho's loan to Borussia Dortmund this month. His long-term future at the club remains up in the air after a public fallout with Erik ten Hag in September.
It remains to be seen if they bolster their ranks with Olise's signature, with the Frenchman's contract at Selhurst Park not expiring before June 2027.
Pundit gives take on former Chelsea boss being linked with Manchester United
Erik ten Hag's position at Manchester United has come under scrutiny this season given their performances in the league and Europe. They currently sit seventh in the table after 21 games and finished last in their UEFA Champions League group.
Amid this, Graham Potter has been linked with the managerial post at Old Trafford. The 48-year-old Englishman notably spent seven months at Chelsea before being shown the door in April 2023.
The Blues won just 12 out of the 31 games where Potter took charge, losing 11 times. Former Crystal Palace forward Clinton Morrison believes hiring the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss could be a gamble on Manchester United's part. He told Premier League Productions (h/t TheBootRoom):
"I understand that but I think it’s a gamble. You saw what happened at Chelsea and Man United are a huge football club. His biggest problem was keeping everyone happy, he was playing players out of position, I remember him playing Sterling as a wing-back, for me it’s a big gamble, they need to sort their squad out there and get some better players in the squad."
Potter, who managed Brighton for a shade over three years before joining Chelsea, is currently without a club.