Chelsea are preparing to compete with Man Utd and several other clubs for the signing of Michael Olise, having initiated contact with Crystal Palace to discuss a potential deal for the winger, a source told ESPN’s James Olley.
The 22-year-old has also garnered interest from Newcastle and Bayern Munich, with United previously viewed as the leading contenders for his signature should he depart Palace this summer.
However, Chelsea are determined to pursue Olise and have approached their London rivals to avoid a repeat of last August’s confusion, when Chelsea believed they had triggered the player’s release clause, only for the deal to fall through as he signed a new contract with Palace.
This new contract includes a release clause valued between £50m and £60m, though there is uncertainty regarding whether it applies solely to clubs in the Champions League.
A source mentioned that Chelsea’s inquiry is focused on clarifying the specifics of this clause, given their qualification for next season’s Conference League.