Olise or Eze - Which Crystal Palace star should Man Utd prioritise this summer?

Cameron Smith

• 26 Apr 2024 19:15 BST
• 4 min read

Manchester United are set for a busy summer transfer window as Sir Jim Ratcliffe looks to stamp his authority at Old Trafford.

Erik ten Hag’s side have been linked with several top players with a rebuild on the cards amid another inconsistent domestic campaign.

Jarrad Branthwaite is the leading centre-back contender to arrive at Old Trafford, as exclusively reported by FootballTransfers, while a central midfielder is also deemed a priority, with Casemiro on the decline.

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In addition, the Red Devils have been linked with a pursuit of Crystal Palace duo Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise. Ex-Man Utd forward Dwight Yorke has even urged his former club to sign both players.

He recently told TVSportGuide: “Man Utd should go buy two Crystal Palace players right now, Eze and Olise, without a doubt.

“Those two young boys are the players Man Utd need at the club right now.

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“They're young, great talents and would improve the club. In two or three years time, they would be coming into the best part of their careers and they'd be integrated into the Man United side by then.

“Olise and Eze are proper players, they have some of the best potential I've ever seen. These two kids improve Man Utd's attack, without a shadow of a doubt. The deals should be done already, try chucking £80 million or something like that for both of them.”

While Yorke believes a joint bid of around £80m would be enough for Eze and Olise, Crystal Palace will only entertain offers of at least £60m each, according to BBC Sport.

However, with Palace flying under Oliver Glasner, it remains to be seen if both Eze and Olise will be sold this summer, especially considering Marc Guehi has also been linked with leaving the Selhurst Park outfit.

If the Eagles decide to retain one of their superstars and offload the other, who should Man Utd pursue as a transfer priority?

Michael Olise or Eberechi Eze?

Both players are technically very gifted and are evidently massively important to Palace. In fact, they have only started six Premier League games together this season, but Crystal Palace have scored 14 goals during that time, with Olise and Eze either scoring or assisting 13 of them.

In regards to their tactical fit at Man Utd, there is one clear winner - Olise.

The Frenchman is somewhat similar to Jadon Sancho in that his one-vs-one threat out wide isn't spectacular, but his passing and vision is on another level. As a result, Man Utd would need to prioritise surrounding Olise with in-behind runners to best utilise his skillset.

His natural wing play is superior to Sancho's, it must be said, but Olise isn't an Alejandro Garnacho-type winger who is constantly looking to beat his opposite number. However, if the Argentine continues his current trajectory, he could usurp Marcus Rashford as the Red Devils' first-choice left winger next season, and he would dovetail nicely with Olise on the opposite flank.

Their opposing styles of play would give Man Utd variety in attack, with Rasmus Hojlund likely to benefit from Olise's incisive passing and crossing ability.

Harry Maguire would also love playing with Olise given the Frenchman's excellent set-piece delivery.

As for Eze, while he is a sublime footballer, there may not be room for him at Man Utd. Olise would naturally be an upgrade on Antony, but Eze may find it hard to force Bruno Fernandes out of the starting XI.

Mason Mount is also a contender for the No.10 role and while Eze can play on the left, he would face significant competition from Rashford and Garnacho.

As a result, it seems as though signing Olise would be the smart move for Man Utd.