Liverpool have reportedly discovered how much it’ll cost them to sign one of their rumoured transfer targets.
According to Football Insider, the Reds are keeping a close eye on Michael Olise, who’s had a new release clause of more than £40m inserted into his contract at Crystal Palace, an increase on the previous clause of £35m.
LFC are reported to have dispatched scouts to watch the 22-year-old in action and evaluate whether to pursue him as a long-term successor to Mo Salah at Anfield.
Although it seems more likely that the Frenchman would move in the summer rather than this month, it’s understood that the Eagles face a ‘hard battle’ to keep him at Selhurst Park despite signing a new deal just five months ago.
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Olise has been in flying form of late for Palace, with four goals and an assist in their last four Premier League games (Transfermarkt), although a hamstring problem he incurred against Brentford a week ago will sideline him for the foreseeable future.
He’s been dubbed an ‘incredible‘ player by his Eagles teammate Eberechi Eze and hailed as ‘excellent‘ by his adoring manager Roy Hodgson, who you’ll recall had a brief and troubled tenure at Liverpool 13 seasons ago.
His five-goal tally for the season so far equals that of Luis Diaz, who’s played more than twice the number of minutes that the 22-year-old has had during an injury-hit campaign in south London (Transfermarkt).
Olise could therefore be a tremendous backup to Salah on the right flank at Liverpool, if they’re willing to stump up the £40m+ that his release clause entails, although the one concern among Anfield chiefs may be the Frenchman’s fitness troubles over the past 12 months.
Nonetheless, that kind of figure in today’s market for a player with such a fine goals-per-game ratio isn’t over the top by any means. Merseyside scouts could be compiling quite the dossier on the Palace winger during the second half of the season.