There has been plenty of reported interest in Crystal Palace midfielder Michael Olise, but manager Patrick Vieira has made it perfectly clear that this player is an important part of his plans for the future.
The 20-year-old has represented France at the Under-18 level, but he’s still eligible to represent England at senior level too, if he gets called up and chooses to accept. Having risen through the youth ranks at Reading, he made the switch to Crystal Palace last summer for a fee which reportedly stood somewhere between €9m and €10m.
Since then, he’s gone on to produce 12 goal involvements (four goals, eight assists) in 24 appearances in all competitions for Vieira’s team. He’s been most effective in the FA Cup, scoring and assisting against both Millwall in the third round and Hartlepool in the fourth.
The contract Olise signed upon arriving at Selhurst Park is set to keep him there until the summer of 2026, but speaking to the press ahead of Palace’s Premier League clash with defending champions Manchester City on Monday, Vieira was asked about the possibility of a release clause being embedded in the deal.
“No, all I can tell you is Michael is a Palace player and we love him,” the Palace boss said.
“He is happy being with us and enjoying his football. Hopefully he will be with us for a long, long period of time.”
Manchester City were one of the clubs said at one point to be keeping an eye on the young Palace midfielder, as were Liverpool, Vieira’s former club Arsenal, and Borussia Dortmund.
