Crystal Palace ready to dig in their heels to retain Chelsea summer target

Roy Hodgson admits Crystal Palace will fight to retain Chelsea target Michael Olise this summer

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has claimed that they are prepared to fight in order to keep Michael Olise this summer amid interest from Chelsea and Manchester City. Palace have already lost their star player, Wilfried Zaha, to Galatasaray and now fear losing their top prospect, Olise, who shone last season.

The Blues are pushing for his signing and have submitted a £39 million offer to sign Olise, and the Frenchman is open to a move as it is understood that the player is seduced by the Chelsea project.

The 21-year-old’s buyout clause is £35 million, and given that Chelsea have offered greater than that, they aim to finalise his signing as soon as possible before City pounces.

It is also believed Mauricio Pochettino is an admirer of Olise and has spoken to the player, who has reached an agreement to join Chelsea once the Blues agree a deal with the Eagles.

But former England manager Hodgson has claimed that they will fight for him to keep the forward, as he said in an interview with The Sun (h/t Daily Mail):

‘We had two outstanding wingers who were among the best in the league. Michael Olise is on the right side, and Wilf is on the left. We don’t have Wilf anymore, and there’s even a slight doubt over Michael’s future because clubs are circling around him, and we’re going to have a fight on our hands to make sure he stays with us.’

Olise will be an incredible addition, and the fact that he has already competed in the Premier League and excelled makes it even more tantalising. He is a flamboyant playmaker who can play both the right flank and offensive midfield positions. We have a good amount of depth on the right flank if we are able to add it.

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Given that Noni Madueke won’t be able to handle the right side on his own, he will certainly need an alternative. Adding Olise will relieve some of the burden and allow both players to play for a respectable amount of time. But it is still unclear because Manchester City are also in the running and may be able to provide him with the Champions League. For now, the report indicates that he is excited about our project, so let’s wait and see how things turn out.