Crystal Palace Unhappy with Chelsea’s Pursuit of Michael Olise
Crystal Palace Football Club is reportedly unhappy with the conduct of their London rivals, Chelsea, in their pursuit of midfielder Michael Olise. According to reports, Palace feels that Chelsea has “crossed a line” in their approach to signing Olise.
Chelsea, who recently broke the Premier League transfer record for the second time this year with the signing of Moises Caicedo for £115 million, has now activated Olise’s release clause with a bid thought to be around £35 million. If the deal goes through, Olise will become Chelsea’s ninth major addition this summer, with Romeo Lavia also on the verge of a £58 million switch from Southampton.
However, Palace has expressed their grievances to Chelsea over the way they have influenced Olise’s decision to leave. Despite interest from other Premier League giants, including Manchester City, Palace believed that Olise was content to stay at Selhurst Park. But Chelsea’s aggressive pursuit and alleged “tapping up” of the player have caused Palace to consider formally reporting their rivals for an illegal approach.
Palace believes that Chelsea’s actions may have contravened transfer rules and etiquette. Typically, clubs informally speak to players before making a formal approach to avoid pursuing a player who does not want to join. Palace feels that Chelsea has “overstepped the mark” in this instance.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that Palace has already lost Wilfried Zaha this summer and had hoped to retain Olise, who is currently recovering from an injury. Manager Roy Hodgson expressed his uncertainty about Olise’s future, stating that if clubs come in with tempting bids, the player will have a decision to make. Hodgson emphasized that Palace believes they can provide Olise with a good platform for his career and hopes that the transfer market doesn’t persuade him to leave.
It remains to be seen if Palace will lodge a formal complaint with the Premier League, while Chelsea appears to be comfortable with their conduct in the pursuit of Olise. The outcome of this situation will have implications for both clubs and the player himself.
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In conclusion, Crystal Palace is unhappy with Chelsea’s pursuit of Michael Olise and believes that their conduct has crossed a line. Chelsea’s aggressive approach and alleged tapping up of the player have caused Palace to consider reporting them for an illegal approach. The outcome of this situation will have significant implications for both clubs and the player’s future.