EPL: Crystal Palace unhappy with Chelsea over bid for Olise

Crystal Palace are reportedly unhappy with Chelsea for activating the release clause in the contract they have with Michael Olise.

While Chelsea is looking to sign 21-year-old Olise for £35 million after activating his release clause, Daily Mail reported that Crystal Palace are concerned over the way the London club approached their player.

It was reported that Palace who believe their London rivals ‘crossed the line’ in terms of transfer etiquette have considered reporting Chelsea for ‘overstepping the mark’, but the Blues, however, are said to be satisfied with their conduct.

Palace remain keen to hold onto Olise and have reportedly been making efforts to convince him to snub any Chelsea approach. The former Reading man joined the club for £8m in 2021 and has grown into an important first-team player at Selhurst Park.

Chelsea’s interest in Olise comes in the light of Mauricio Pochettino’s side breaking the Premier League transfer record to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton. £115m signing Caicedo joins the likes of Axel Disasi, Christopher Nkunku, and Nicolas Jackson in moving to West London this summer.

If the move for Olise goes through, it would take Chelsea’s summer spending north of £300m. It might not be the last deal they complete, either, with talks ongoing over a move for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia.

Chelsea don’t have a free run at Lavia, either. They have come into the mix for the Southampton star after Liverpool had a bid rejected, and Saints director of football Jason Wilcox expects progress to be made sooner rather than later.

Wilcox who spoke at a fan’s forum event said;

“So we’re currently in negotiation with Chelsea now so it’s a real tricky period for Romeo. But I’m confident that something will get done in the next week or so or in the next few days.

“And I think, you know, when we look at what Romeo’s achieved here, I think every one of us here wouldn’t want to lose him but the reality is, we’re in the Championship and we need to reinvest and by buying Shea Charles, we’ve got another one who hopefully we can do the same with. So good luck to Romeo. Let’s say it’s not done yet. But we envisage in the next few days it will be completed.”

Palace are not the first Premier League team to be unhappy with Chelsea this summer. Liverpool owner John W Henry and the club’s board are understood to have been left “frustrated” after the London-club beat them to the signing of Caicedo from Brighton.