Liverpool can correct a transfer error they made in 2021 by beating Chelsea and Manchester City in a Premier League star with an attractive release clause.
The 2020/21 season saw Liverpool youngster Harvey Elliott shine during his loan spell at Championship side Blackburn Rovers. In his first season in regular men’s soccer, Elliott scored seven goals and, most impressively, made eleven for Tony Mowbray’s team.
In fact, he performed so well that when he returned to Liverpool for pre-season the following summer, he was part of Jurgen Klopp’s first team plans.
Somehow, however, Elliott wasn’t the most impressive teenage talent at that second tier at the time. Instead, that honor went to Reading’s Michael Olise, who matched his counterpart’s goal tally but provided another assist, ultimately being named the Championship’s young player of the season.
Olise, who also made PFA Team of the Year, has attracted interest from Liverpool and a host of other top European clubs such as Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Napoli and Monaco (via TeamTalk).
But ultimately, the Frenchman would sign for Crystal Palace instead, and he’s looked like a powerful coup for the Eagles ever since.
He only scored four times in his 63 Premier League appearances, but more importantly he scored an impressive 16 goals in that span. Last season, his tally of 11 assists lifted him to third place in the league, surpassed only by Mohamed Salah (12) and Kevin de Bruyne (16), and seventh in Europe’s top five leagues. Olise was also in the top 10 for expected assists (8.7), showing that he created quality chances rather than relying solely on an exceptionally good finish.
He has earned seven caps for the France Under-21 national team and was included in the European Championship squad last month. He looks like a sure thing for the senior team in the not too distant future, having established himself as one of the brightest youngsters in the league.
In fact, Olise was named Selhurst Park Player of the Season and it’s no surprise when you read such rave reviews from teammate Joel Ward.
“Michael is a special talent,” he told football.london. “The world is at his feet and he’s getting better game after game, so I think he’s going to reach new heights and set new standards.” If he continues like this, he will devote himself to special things.
“They [Olise and teammate Eberechi Eze] make my life a little bit easier when I can just give them the ball and they do their magic!”
So impressive was Olise that Chelsea and Manchester City picked him as their summer transfer target and, given the player’s $45m (£35m/€40m) release clause, saw an opportunity for a massive deal (via Fabrizio Romano).
French broadcaster RMC Sport has claimed Chelsea have already made a bid worth more than $50m (£39m/€45m) and it may be an attempt to dupe Manchester City.
Is there a reason why Liverpool are back in the game and accepting this offer? Well, it’s worth pointing out that Olise would be a very different breed of winger to Salah.
Yes, he’s an individual threat like the Egyptian and finished 10th in the league for successful kills (54) last season, but he’s more of a striker than a goalscorer.
This is reflected in his tally of 242 crossover attempts in the 2022/23 season, surpassed only by Newcastle United’s Trent Alexander-Arnold (252) and Kieran Trippier (195).
Olise would be seen as Salah’s long-term successor should he arrive and the move would further develop Liverpool, shifting the scoring burden from the winger to a well-placed number nine like Darwin Núñez.
A key point to make here is that he won’t be able to make his mark right away, with coach Roy Hodgson ruling him out for the foreseeable future after undergoing surgery for a “serious” hamstring injury (via Evening Standard).
Early estimates suggested he could be out for up to three months (via The Athletic) and while that’s a consideration, it’s a delay that could be quickly forgotten if he realizes his full potential. Liverpool have, of course, already expressed interest in Olise teammate Cheick Doucouré, who is reportedly valued at $90m (£70m/€81m), as he looks set to fill a gap in the number six position (via The Mail).
Maybe it’s worth the Reds to consider a bold double strike and correct the mistake they made by failing to catch Olise a few years ago.
