Chelsea transfer target Michael Olise does not have a release clause in his contract, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

It has been claimed that the Crystal Palace winger can be signed for £35m but, writing in his column for GiveMeSport, Jacobs said that isn’t the case:

“There is a lot of talk about a £35m buyout clause. My understanding is that such a clause existed when Olise joined Palace from Reading in 2021 but has since been removed.”

It could well be the reason why reports have surfaced that the Blues tabled a €45m (£39m) bid for the France Under 21 international, rather than simply paying the buyout fee.

Olise has plenty of admirers

In addition to Chelsea, it is believed that both Manchester City and Arsenal have taken a keen interest in the player, although Palace are in a good position to demand a high fee if, as Jacobs claims, the release clause has been removed.

It remains to be seen whether Olise is a top priority for manager Mauricio Pochettino. The club also need to sign a couple of midfielders, a goalkeeper and potentially another striker if Armando Broja leaves.

Buying another winger, even one as talented as Olise, isn’t really high on the agenda, considering the Blues already have the likes of Noni Madueke, Mykailho Mudryk, Raheem Sterling and Christopher Nkunku to take up those positions.

Are Chelsea close to making any more signings?

At the moment, it looks like the Blues have not made any progress on the Moises Caicedo transfer, but they are said to be pushing ahead with a move for Montpellier’s Elye Wahi.

From the sound of things, though, the striker won’t be playing at Stamford Bridge next season, with the intention to loan him out to another club for at least a year. Feeder side Strasbourg are the favourites to secure his services.