Disagreement over £60m star’s contract offer shows transfer is still far from completion | OneFootball

Last night, reports emerged that Crystal Palace had made a last minute attempt to keep their star player Michael Olise by offering him a new contract.

It would have a higher wage, plus a higher release clause. He gets well rewarded, has another year as a star for Palace, who in turn get more money when he leaves next summer. That’s the idea anyway. But there are now various counter claims denying that’s the case.

CaughtOffside’s sources say something very different:

“Sources close to Palace have denied that Olise has been offered a new contract, CaughtOffside understands, with the position of the club being that the Frenchman is for sale for the widely-reported £60million release clause fee.”

Whether it’s true or not that he’s been offered a deal, there’s no reason that Olise has to take it. With Chelsea really putting the pressure on now, it may be that he says “thanks but no thanks” to Palace and they have to accept that the battle is lost.

Michael Olise with the Chelsea badge

It shouldn’t matter either way

Overall, there’s no point getting too bogged down in discussions one way or the other. Olise looks like he’s been told (whether it’s in writing legally or not, and whatever the specifics of who it applies to if it us) that he can leave if a club offers £60m. After signing a new contract last summer in similar circumstances and staying put, we’d imagine the club won’t stand in his way now.

The question is whether Chelsea can put that sort of money down – and if they can, what are they waiting for? Interest in Olise is only going to grow, and once other clubs get themselves in gear we could see a bidding way take the price above the £60m mark. So let’s move now, while we can afford it.