Man Utd’s future Saka must ignore transfer advice to spearhead Ratcliffe revolution

Robin Bairner

• 13 Jan 2024 09:28 GMT
• 6 min read

Manchester United have been told that a player they hope to make their Bukayo Saka would be better off moving to rivals Manchester City.

Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise has been tipped as the first signing of the Sir Jim Ratcliffe era, albeit that promises to be in the summer when his 25% takeover of the club is completed.

The France U21 star has been in excellent form this season, and showing the same qualities as Arsenal winger Saka, United are of the belief that he could elevate their squad.

However, Olise has been told that he would be better off moving to Pep Guardiola’s Man City by Stuart Pearce, a former player and manager for the Etihad club.

“Not Man United… Man City. I looked at the way he played against Chelsea especially, he got beaten on the night but he was by far the best player on the pitch in my opinion,” Pearce told TalkSport.

“The way he dealt with the ball, his understanding of when to keep the ball, all of those type of things. I could see him in a City shirt.”

Man Utd a better fit for Olise

Olise would be well advised to ignore this advice, according to data analytics firm SciSports.

Using the career tool of the experts, it shows that Man Utd are a better fit for the 22-year-old’s style of play and chances of development.

Man Utd are given a Club Fit score of 71 for Olise, higher than City’s 63, which places them only 14th among the player’s best destinations among Premier League teams.

Indeed, one of the areas where United score poorly is in playing time, but if they were to sign Olise, this would likely signal the end for the likes of Antony and Jadon Sancho at the club, both of whom could well move on in the summer as the Ratcliffe revolution begins.

The Hammersmith-born star, meanwhile, has already been on the books of Chelsea and Man City as a youth, spending only one year with the latter, so may not wish to return.

The time appears right for Olise to move on. SciSports indicates that his potential development is being stunted at Crystal Palace.

In fact, there are better options for him among Premier League teams even than Man Utd. West Ham and Fulham score particularly well, with respective Club Fit marks of 81 and 80, driven by strong development opportunities and playing time.

The probability of a move to Man Utd, though, is far higher, with the Old Trafford club better positioned to command the type of transfer fee Crystal Palace will expect for their most valuable asset.