Chelsea have submitted a verbal £26m offer for Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise after stealing a march on Manchester City in the race to sign the talented attacker, according to RMC Sport.
The French newspaper claims that the Blues have already agreed personal terms with Olise and the player wants to move to Stamford Bridge this summer.
However, before completing any move, the West Londoners are waiting for guarantees on his recovery from a hamstring injury that he suffered while playing for France at the U-21s Euros last month.
Palace manager Roy Hodgson claims that Olise will miss the start of the new season after undergoing surgery.
“We’ve known since the injury that it’s going to take a while for him to get fit again”, Hodgson revealed.
“It was a serious injury which required an operation. He’s well into his rehabilitation but it’s going to take a bit longer for him to recover. “At the moment we’re just hoping that the rehabilitation will go well and that we get him back as quickly as possible. But we certainly we won’t be seeing him for a period of time.”
Crystal Palace included a clause in Olise’s contract which is less than £35m (€40m), according to RMC Sport, but it’s not known whether Chelsea’s £26m offer has met the valuation.
Olise represents a cost-effective option for Chelsea as Mauricio Pochettino looks to revamp his attack as part of a huge squad rebuild this summer.
Competition
According to RMC Sport, Chelsea will face stiff competition for Olise’s signature from Manchester City as the Cityzens are also interested in making a move for the highly-rated forward.
The Premier League champions see the Frenchman as a replacement for Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez – who completed his move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli. Pep Guardiola wants to reinforce his attacking options and has identified Olise as a serious target.
Olise moved to Selhurst Park in 2019 from Reading and has since become a fan favourite at the club. The versatile forward has three years left on his remaining contract and he racked up 40 appearances and 13 goal contributions for Hodgson’s side as they finished 11th in the Premier League last season.
RMC Sport further reported that even though Olise wants a move to Chelsea this summer nothing has been decided yet, therefore, he could still end up at Man City if they formalise their interest over the coming days.
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