Liverpool transfers: Michael Olise is ideal Arne Slot 'welcome signing' says ex-Red
Michael Olise will have his pick of Premier League clubs this summer with Liverpool and Chelsea among the teams linked with his signature.
The France Olympic Games star has got a reported £60 million buyout clause contained in his Crystal Palace contract which could well be activated this summer by interested parties.
Olise, 22, scored 10 goals and added six assists in only 19 Premier League outings last season, excelling towards the end of the campaign in particular under Oliver Glasner.
However it is believed the former Arsenal academy player would favour a stay in London meaning Chelsea hold the advantage ahead of any potential negotiations.
Nonetheless ex-Liverpool star Stan Collymore believes that Olise would be WRONG to go back to Stamford Bridge - where he played as a youth team player - and instead called on Liverpool’s transfer higher-ups to deliver the playmaker as a welcome gift to new head coach Arne Slot.
Collymore tells Liverpool: Get Olise!
“He’s going to end up at another Premier League club this summer,” Collymore wrote on Caught Offside.
“I think it would make perfect sense for Liverpool. You’d think Arne Slot will be given a ‘welcome to Liverpool gift’, which would, of course, be a player.
If I’m Olise and I’ve got a choice of Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs, what have you – I’m going for Liverpool all day long. Why Liverpool? They’ve got some great attacking options, they’ve also got some very good young players who can help him along.
“Trent Alexander-Arnold is still very young, there’s Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones too, plus Stefan Bajcetic… a good cohort of youngsters to help him along. What better ‘welcome to Anfield gift’? Arne Slot will want a player who he can say, ‘This is mine. Not Jurgen Klopp’s. Mine.’”
Collymore cited the struggles of other big-money Chelsea signings who have come in since the BlueCo 22-led takeover.
Chelsea have spent over £1 billion on new signings but missed out on the Champions League places last term with Mauricio Pochettino replaced by Enzo Maresca.
“Look at Mykhailo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez who have been hammered left, right and centre,” he said. “Liverpool would be a better option for him. I can see him as an absolute perfect fit!
“Get the job done, Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes!”