Manchester United unwilling to trigger release clause of top summer target; Chelsea deemed favourites to sign star this summer - Reports
Manchester United are reportedly not in favor of triggering the £70 million release of Crystal Palace attacker Michael Olise, a Chelsea target. The 22-year-old winger is coming off an impressive season.
In 19 games - all in the Premier League - Olise registered 10 goals and six assists as Palace finished tenth. Despite being contracted to Palace until 2027, the Frenchman has attracted interest of multiple Premier League teams.
As per Santi Aouna (via Sports Mole), Olise is the subject of interest for the Blues and United, among others, with the Blues said to be leading the race for the 2024 Paris Olympics-bound attacker's services. Aouna also reported that while United are not keen to trigger his release clause, they are 'exploring' ways to snap him up.
Both Chelsea and United are seeking attacking reinforcements after underwhelming returns of their existing crop as they finished outside the top four.
While Erik ten Hag will continue at United, Mauricio Pochettino wasn't so lucky, as he was let go after just one season at the Blues. The Argentine has since been replaced by Enzo Maresca, who led Leicester City to immediate Premier League promotion by winning the Championship last season.
A brief recap of how Manchester United and Chelsea fared in the 2023-24 season
Manchester United endured a hugely underwhelming 2023-24 campaign, finishing a lowly eighth, their worst finish in the Premier League era, as they endured a whopping 14 defeats.
They were also poor in Europe, finishing a dismal fourth in their UEFA Champions League group to bow out of the continent. However, despite an early exit in the EFL Cup, they won the FA Cup, denying Manchester City a historic back-to-back domestic double.
Meanwhile, Chelsea struggled for consistency initially after an expensive overhaul in the summer and injuries to key players. However, they finished strongly - with five straight wins - to end sixth.
They also fared well in both domestic cups, reaching at least the semifinals - losing 1-0 to Liverpool in extra time in the EFL Cup final and 1-0 to holders City in the FA Cup semifinals.