Manchester United’s transfer hopes have taken a serious hit due to Thierry Henry.
Michael Olise is reportedly of interest to Manchester United this summer (Image: Getty)
Michael Olise has been named in France’s preliminary Olympic squad for 2024, which includes a strong group of players, according to manager Thierry Henry. Olise’s inclusion may be detrimental to the team he starts the Premier League season with, as Manchester United is rumored to be interested in acquiring him.
Despite a season marred by injuries, the winger was excellent for Crystal Palace last year, contributing 16 goals in 19 Premier League games. He is anticipated to be named in the final squad, along with Palace teammate Jean-Philippe Mateta, who is listed on France’s provisional list of athletes for the national Olympics.
According to numerous reports, United is considering a possible £60 million move for Olise. He will, however, be absent for most of the preseason and might even find himself in a race to be ready for the Premier League season to begin.
The Olympic football competition, which is essentially a U23 competition, takes place from July 24 to August 10. The competition final will take place six days prior to the start of the Premier League season, with France as the clear favorites to win.
In their group, France plays the United States, Guinea, and New Zealand.
Olise’s departure from Palace this summer has been mentioned. However, now that the 22-year-old will miss a significant portion of preseason, interested parties, including Man United, may be concerned that he won’t be ready for the upcoming Premier League season. Supervisors will want their high-profile acquisitions to be prepared for the premier league with a full preseason.
Express Sport is aware that even though Olise’s contract has a release clause, it can be difficult to activate. The former Reading player signed a new contract at Selhurst Park, contrary to Chelsea’s belief that they had finalized a deal last summer.
Oliver Glasner, the head coach of Palace, hopes to retain his best players, Olise, Mateta, and Eberechi Eze, who is linked to Tottenham, with the team for the upcoming campaign. They are nearing an agreement to sign Real Betis defender Chadi Riad and Japan international Daichi Kamada, but they are still very interested in Sunderland teenager Jobe Bellingham.
Thierry Henry has named Man Utd target Michael Olise in his France squad for the Olympics (Image: Getty)
Clubs are not required to release players for the Olympics, unlike senior international tournaments. Olise’s withdrawal from Les Bleus appears unlikely, though, given that he was left off of the team for Euro 2024.
Olise will have missed at least a portion of a preseason campaign for the fourth consecutive year. He was sidelined until November of last year due to a hamstring injury sustained during the U21 European Championship.
Subsequently, the hamstring issue returned, causing him to miss a number of games during the 2023–24 campaign. Either way, Olise is hoping for a less disruptive 2024–25 football season wherever he plays.
