The REAL reason why Chelsea missed out on Michael Olise
Tom Hancock
- Updated: 18 Aug 2023 12:47 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea’s hopes of signing Michael Olise were abruptly extinguished on Thursday as the winger signed a new contract with Crystal Palace.
It’s a rare blow for the Blues in a transfer window that has, sooner or later, seen them land pretty much all of their targets – with Romeo Lavia the latest to join, for £58m from Southampton today.
And it seems like Olise – who was one of the best young Players in the Premier League last season – effectively rejected Chelsea.
MORE: How Chelsea will line up with Romeo Lavia
Sky Sports News’ Dharmesh Sheth explained: “Chelsea met the release clause in Michael Olise’s contract worth £35m. That would have allowed Chelsea to talk to Olise. However, there was no response from Olise or Palace after Chelsea’s offer had gone in. Olise then signed a new four-year deal with Crystal Palace.
“So, why did Olise turn down Chelsea? On face value, Olise sees his future at Palace and feels his development is best served at Selhurst Park. Sky Sports News understands Chelsea never withdrew their offer. That would indicate Olise signed a new deal because he wanted to remain at Palace.”
MORE: How much have Chelsea spent on transfers so far this summer
Introducing a new Blue! 🔵 pic.twitter.com/vdHynMOMti
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 18, 2023
A familiar story for Chelsea on the transfer front
It’s been yet another big-spending transfer window for Chelsea, with Lavia becoming their ninth first-team signing this summer – and the second this week, following the arrival of Moises Caicedo from Brighton for an initial £100m.
The Blues have somewhat offset their huge outlay by offloading a number of players, though – among them Kai Havertz, Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic, who have joined Premier League rivals Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City respectively.
Mauricio Pochettino could hand debuts to Lavia and Caicedo in Sunday’s London derby away to West Ham.
