What is 'tapping up'? Why Chelsea are in hot water over Olise transfer

Tom Weber

Updated: 17 Aug 2023 15:46 BST
4 min read

Chelsea are accused of having 'tapped up' Crystal Palace star Michael Olise prior to their activating his release clause - but what is 'tapping up' and what consequences could Chelsea face?

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In simple terms, 'tapping up' is when an interested club contacts a player regarding a potential transfer without the consent of the club the player is under contract with. This goes both ways as players are also prohibited from initiating contact without their parent club's permission.

Regarding the matter, the Premier League states: "Subject to Rule T.7, a contracted player, either by himself or by any person on his behalf, shall not either directly or indirectly make any such approach as is referred to in Rule T.5 without having obtained the prior written consent of his club."

READ: Chelsea STUNNED as Olise transfer takes UNEXPECTED twist

The Daily Mail previously reported that Chelsea had 'aggravated' Crystal Palace with their approach for star player Michael Olise, but the Blues initially went ahead with the negotiations anyway. They ultimately proved fruitless, however, because Palace threatened to take the issue to a tribunal, prompting Chelsea to pull out of the deal, claims Fabrizio Romano.

Van Dijk, Lukaku and the consequences of 'tapping up'

There have been some high-profile cases of 'tapping up' previously. In fact, just a few weeks ago, Italian media reported that Juventus had illicitly contacted Romelu Lukaku, then on loan from Chelsea at Inter, over a potential transfer as early as March of this year.

More prominent is the example of Virgil van Dijk and Liverpool. The Reds issued a public apology in the summer of 2017 after Southampton accused them of having made an illegal approach for the Dutchman. Nothing came of it and Liverpool ended up signing him six months later.

READ: Chelsea target £45m Olise alternative as Romano reveals why transfer fell through

Some punishments have, however, been meted out, but almost exclusively for the 'tapping up' of academy players. At the senior level, there is little interest in actively clamping down on the issue because, as one former agent told The Mirror, it is a common occurrence.

"No transfer happens without an element of tapping-up," he said in 2017. So, even if the matter were to have some repercussions, Chelsea will likely come away from this ordeal with nothing more than a slap on the wrist.