Source + Photoshop (I couldn't find a royalty free image of Olise in a Palace shirt so I used the image from my previous article 🙂)
Back in March, I wrote an article titled "Remember the Name - Michael Olise" in which I wrote about an up and coming Reading player.
At the time, we (Reading) were chasing promotion to the Premier League and the hope was that he'd represent us in the top flight. But having missed out on the playoffs and our transfer embargo due to Financial Fair Play breaches, I expected us to have to sell. And with Olise being one of the few players to make the Championship Team of the Year and not gain promotion, his departure felt inevitable.
At the time of my article, he was being linked to Chelsea, Leeds, Wolves and Liverpool and I wrote:
At his age though, I'd like to see him stay with us for a couple more seasons until any move that he makes secures him a guaranteed 1st team spot. Too often we see young talents like this move on and disappear into the reserves, never truly flourishing again.
Transfermarkt had him valued at £10.8m at the time (they now have him at £13.5m) so the believed to be fee of £8m perhaps represents a bit of a bargain.
He has become Patrick Viera's 1st signing since taking charge and with Eze rumoured to miss the start of the season, Olise could find himself given an opportunity from the outset. If not, I don't think it will be long before he breaks into the Crystal Palace 1st team so as far as his choice of club goes, I think that he has chosen wisely and I wouldn't be surprised if this is a stepping stone to a bigger club.
Under Roy Hodgson, I'd have been concerned for Olise's future but under a more attacking manager in Viera, he could flourish - especially given the improvement we've seen in Wilfred Zaha since joining the Eagles.
Crystal Palace have a tough start to the season (Chelsea (h), Brentford (a), West Ham (a), Spurs (h), Liverpool (a)) so it's going to be sink or swim for Olise and I wish him luck!
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