Manchester City ‘heavily tracking’ Premier League forward with £65 million release clause

Etihad Stadium officials are reportedly ‘heavily tracking’ the performances and development of Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise ahead of the summer market.

Manchester City are likely to undergo a squad refresh in the summer months, with an intention to further establish themselves as UEFA Champions League competitors in particular following on from this season’s quarter-final exit.

Pep Guardiola will work closely with sporting director Txiki Begiristain to establish areas of his first-team squad that he feels require additions, while Manchester City will also be attentive to market opportunities.

One such route the club could go down in the market is the wide roles amid a strong intention to shift Phil Foden into the middle of the pitch in the large majority of matches. As such, the latest information as linked Manchester City with a talent from within the Premier League.

That is according to the information of The Guardian’s Ed Aarons, who claims that Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise is being ‘heavily tracked’ by Manchester City, alongside their bitter cross-town rivals Manchester United ahead of the summer transfer window.

As well as Manchester’s two Premier League giants, the report also claims that Olise is a potential transfer target for Arsenal, having impressed the Emirates Stadium’s scouting department despite a challenging season due to injury.

In a significant bonus to all three clubs linked to the player, Michael Olise’s new four-year contract, signed after turning down Chelsea in August 2023, reportedly includes a release clause that comes into effect in the summer and is in the region of £65 million.

The 22-year-old winger already has history with Manchester City, having played for the club’s Academy system between 2016 and 2017, before eventually making a switch to Reading – where he established his top level senior playing career.

While this season has been hampered by injury problems, Michael Olise has still managed to register a commendable 13 appearances in the Premier League, in which he has also provided six goals and three assists in the process.

City are unlikely to see departures from wing positions this summer, with Pep Guardiola content with Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish being his go-to names for the left. However, the right-side could become increasingly restricted amid concerns over Bernardo Silva’s future.