Chelsea accused of 'tapping-up' transfer target as deal nears completion

Cameron Smith

• 15 Aug 2023 21:32 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea have been accused of ‘tapping-up’ France U21 star Michael Olise as the Crystal Palace star nears a move to Stamford Bridge.

Olise, who is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury he picked up at the U21 European Championships, is on the verge of joining Chelsea after the Blues reached an agreement in principle to sign him.

The 21-year-old reportedly has a €41 million (£35m) release clause included in his Crystal Palace contract, which has been triggered by Chelsea amid their summer rebuild.

MORE: Premier League 2023/24 summer transfers: All the Done Deals

Personal terms are close to be agreed - as per the Evening Standard’s Nizaar Kinsella - and the move looks set to happen.

However, negotiations have been unfolding while Palace believe Chelsea have acted in an unprofessional manner, according to the Daily Mail’s Sami Mokbel.

The Daily Mail have reported that Chelsea’s pursuit of Olise has ‘aggravated’ the south London side, who think the Blues have ‘tapped-up’ the Frenchman in a bid to persuade him to join the club.

MORE: How much have Chelsea spent on transfers so far this summer?

The report states that “multiple sources have told Mail Sport that Palace have communicated their grievances in an unofficial capacity to their Chelsea counterparts.

“There are concerns at Palace that Chelsea’s potential swoop for Olise has contravened transfer rules and etiquette,” the report continues.

“Sources have indicated the south London club have considered formally reporting their top-flight rivals for making an illegal approach, though whether they are prepared to take such a drastic step remains to be seen.”

Chelsea, on the other hand, believe they have negotiated with Palace and Olise using proper methods and have not acted in an unprofessional manner.

Chelsea’s summer business

Olise would become Chelsea’s 10th summer signing following the arrivals of Moises Caicedo, Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Ugochukwu, Robert Sanchez, Angelo Gabriel, Diego Moreira and Alex Matos.

The Crystal Palace attacker is expected to become a Chelsea player in the coming days, but the deal is not yet completed and concerns of ‘tapping-up’ could mean negotiations aren’t finalised for a little while longer.