Chelsea beat Man City in transfer race? Blues make £26m Michael Olise offer and agree personal terms with Crystal Palace star

Posted Sunday, August 06, 2023 by Goal.com

The race to sign Michael Olise is heating up, with Chelsea in the driving seat having reportedly agreed personal terms with the Crystal Palace star.

WHAT HAPPENED? According to RMC Sport, Olise has agreed personal terms with Chelsea after the Blues made an offer of around £26 million ($33m) for the winger. That fee is still a little short of Olise's reported release clause of £35m ($45m), but it seems to have been enough to move the prospective transfer forward.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Olise's creative output last season was impressive, with the 21-year-old becoming the first ever Palace player to notch 10 assists in a single campaign. It's this return that has caused some of the Premier League's top clubs to pursue the Frenchman, and Chelsea have led the pack ever since an agreement was reached in principle in late July.

AND WHAT'S MORE: Chelsea aren't the only club to have actively pursued the Palace creator this window, with Manchester City hot on their heels throughout the summer. According to reports, the departure of forward Riyad Mahrez to Al-Ahli has left Pep Guardiola keen to bring in Olise as a replacement.

WHAT NEXT FOR OLISE? Aside from all the transfer speculation, the young Frenchman will be in for a busy week regardless, with preparations for the Eagles' opening match of the season against Sheffield United in full swing.