Crystal Palace’s young talent Michael Olise is on the verge of a move to Chelsea, but the transfer is raising concerns related to ‘tapping-up’ allegations.
The France Under-21 international, who has been targeted by Chelsea, reportedly has a complex release clause of around £35 million in his contract, which the Blues have triggered with their offer.
However, the manner in which Chelsea has pursued Olise’s transfer has drawn the ire of Palace officials, who feel that the club’s conduct during negotiations crosses ethical boundaries.
Multiple sources have disclosed that Crystal Palace has informally expressed its discontent to Chelsea regarding their approach in signing Olise.
Nonetheless, Chelsea has persisted in their pursuit and recently submitted a formal bid that they believe meets the criteria set by Olise’s release clause.
There are apprehensions within Palace that Chelsea’s tactics may have breached transfer rules and the norms of proper conduct.
Reports suggest that Palace has even considered the possibility of formally reporting Chelsea for an alleged illegal approach, although whether they will take this step remains uncertain.
In response, sources indicate that Chelsea is confident that their actions have been in accordance with the established standards of approaching players during transfer negotiations.
It’s a widely accepted practice in football for clubs to engage in discussions with players even before making a formal approach for their transfer. However, in this particular instance, Crystal Palace feels that Chelsea may have crossed a line.
Despite Palace’s efforts to persuade Olise to disregard Chelsea’s interest, there was hope that the player, who is currently recovering from a hamstring injury, would stay committed to the club, at least temporarily.
Nevertheless, it appears increasingly likely that Michael Olise will become a part of Chelsea’s ambitious spending spree, which has already seen significant investments.
Apart from the Olise deal, Chelsea and Crystal Palace are also working on a loan move for Chelsea’s academy graduate Lewis Hall. This transfer has been temporarily delayed after Hall was set to sign terms with Palace last week.
As the situation unfolds, both Chelsea and Crystal Palace are expected to provide comments and clarifications on the matter.
