PREMIER LEAGUE STAR ‘WANTS TO JOIN’ MAN UTD OVER LIVERPOOL WITH RATCLIFFE TO ‘ALLOW ANTONY TO LEAVE’

Man Utd are in the driving seat to land Michael Olise from Crystal Palace this summer as he favours a move to Old Trafford over Liverpool, according to reports.

The Red Devils are set for a lot of change over the summer after Sir Jim Ratcliffe completed a deal to buy 27.7 per cent of the Premier League club from the Glazers earlier this year.

Man Utd ‘planning to allow Antony to leave’ to bring in Olise

Ratcliffe has already moved for Omar Berrada from arch-rivals Man City as the Red Devils’ new CEO, while he is looking to appoint Newcastle’s Dan Ashworth as new sporting director and Southampton’s Jason Wilcox as technical director.

Once he has sorted his new recruitment team, there are likely to be big changes to playing personnel, while Erik ten Hag’s future has still not been decided.

Previous reports have indicated that the only target Ratcliffe and INEOS are sure on is Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise and have already ‘approved’ the signing.

Olise has had his injury issues at Crystal Palace this season with the Frenchman only making 13 appearances in the Premier League this term.

However, he has been in brilliant form when fit with six goals and three assists in those 13 matches and it is those kind of performances that have attracted Man Utd.

And now ESPN claim that Man Utd are ‘planning to allow Antony to leave and make way for the arrival of Michael Olise from Crystal Palace’.

Antony has been in terrible form this season, registering just one assist and no goals in 25 Premier League appearances this term, leading to rumours he could leave in the summer, especially if Ten Hag leaves.

Olise ‘remains high on their list’ of replacements for Antony at Man Utd and it’s ‘believed the player himself prefers to move to Old Trafford over a switch to either Liverpool or Chelsea, who are also interested’.

ESPN adds that Olise ‘has a £60 million release clause that can be triggered this summer, and United believe the Palace winger is the perfect man to bring more consistency to their wide play.’

Olise’s style likened to Argentina legend Lionel Messi

Olise was even likened to Argentina and Barcelona legend Lionel Messi over the weekend with Paul Merson giving the Palace winger praise.

Speaking on Sky Sports after Palace’s 1-0 win over Liverpool on Sunday, Merson said: “Well you can’t stop Messi getting on his left [foot], can you? It’s his body movement, Jamie, he’s so in control of the ball.

“You know, even with the goal there against Luton, he’s running 100-miles-an-hour, but he’s always got control of the ball. He’s not running with his head down, he knows what he’s going to do.

“He probably knows what he’s going to do when he gets that ball near the halfway line. He’s going to go down the wing, cut in and bend it in the corner. He’s a top player.”

2024-04-16T11:44:12Z dg43tfdfdgfd