Michael Olise has been in sensational form for Crystal Palace in recent weeks, and is now attracting interest from Manchester United.
Man United were linked with sporting director Dougie Freedman as new shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe takes control of footballing decisions at the club, and it has now been reported that his investment group would like to make Olise one of their first signings at Old Trafford.
Olise recovered from a long-term injury and has been electric since, recording five goals and an assist in nine Premier League appearances this season.
Manchester United want Michael Olise
The Standard have now reported that Man United are keen on Olise, but face a problem, as a January transfer has been ruled out.
The 22-year-old has a release clause in his contract which becomes active in the summer transfer window, meaning Crystal Palace would be powerless to stop him leaving if it is activated at the end of the season.
With Jadon Sancho close to the exit door at United, they seemingly want Olise now, but Palace will not sell their prize asset in the middle of the season, and his summer exit clause is reportedly significantly higher than the £35m clause he had last summer.
Will Olise leave Crystal Palace?
It is unclear whether Olise would be open to a move, but having turned down Chelsea in the summer to sign a fresh £100k-a-week deal, there may be hope that he stays longer.
However, if Palace cannot match his ambitions on the pitch, it would be no surprise to see him leave if an offer does come in.
Olise should be wary that Wilfried Zaha and Aaron Wan-Bissaka both moved from Palace to Man United with little success, but he will also be aware that he has the potential to compete for major trophies.
Palace may be keen to avoid what happened with Zaha. Whilst he did stay during his prime years, Palace ended up losing him for free, when they could have gained a significant transfer fee to rebuild the squad.
If Olise does leave in the summer, it seems Palace will receive a substantial fee, and this could help them add depth and quality to the side and try and have more ambitious aims than has been seen in recent times.
