Liverpool fans will have a new Premier League target to watch next season as Michael Olise appears set to join Crystal Palace. The Reds reportedly like the player.
The BBC reports that Michael Olise is set to join Crystal Palace from Reading. He’ll cost the Eagles £8m, with the player having just one year left on his contract.
And according to 90min, Liverpool also considered Olise a target. They like him, along with a host of other big Premier League sides.
It’s safe to say that fans have a player to watch next season, then.
Who is Michael Olise?
Olise is a 19-year-old attacking midfielder who just enjoyed a fantastic season in the Championship. He scored seven times and got 12 assists, but that only really tells half the story.
For starters, Reading aren’t one of the best teams in the league. They finished 7th, missing out on the Play-Offs by seven points.
Yet Olise shone, creating 1.9 chances per game on average – a figure only Emiliano Buendia bettered and he just moved for £38m.
The Argentine was the only player to beat Olise’s 12 assists, too. Though both Harry Wilson and Harvey Elliott came close (11 each).
There’s a lot to like about Olise, then. He’s someone who shoots, passes, dribbles and makes things happen in the final third. It’s all very impressive for someone who doesn’t turn 20 until December.
Why didn’t Liverpool sign Olise?
We can only imagine it’s because they didn’t have room for another young, talented attacking midfielder. Curtis Jones looks like a star in the making and Liverpool can’t guarantee enough games to two players like that.
But it makes Olise one to watch. Liverpool aren’t shy about moving for expensive Premier League players if they believe they’re right for them.
We saw it with Gini Wijnaldum, Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk, and Diogo Jota. Liverpool will spend the money for the right fit.
Olise may well be that player down the line. No, there isn’t room for both Jones and Olise right now but once they’re both established in the Premier League?
That could end up being something very exciting. It all depends on them both figuring it out at the top level, though, and Olise will be very expensive to sign going forward.
But fans should keep an eye on him over the next few years. If he shows the right ability, there’s no reason he can’t become a Liverpool player down the line.