MICHAEL Olise has opted to stay at Crystal Palace and sign a contract extension rather than make a switch to Chelsea.
The 21-year-old France youth international with Nigerian heritage was reportedly on the verge of joining Chelsea after his release clause, believed to be £35m, was activated by the club.
However, the young wide forward has now committed his future to Palace and will at least stay there this season.
Crystal Palace co-owner and chairman Steve Parish revealed the Olise deal today on social media.
“I’m absolutely delighted to announce @m.olise has decided to commit his future to Crystal Palace football club and this afternoon signed a new four year deal with the club,” Parish wrote on Twitter and Instagram, attaching a picture of himself and the player during the signing process.
Olise was born in London, England in December 2001 to a Nigerian father and played for the youth teams of both Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City before joining Reading in 2017.
He began his senior career in the English second tier with Reading in 2019 and made 73 appearances for the club.
The left-footed forward linked up with Palace in 2021 and has made 71 appearances for the club, registering six goals and 19 assists.
Olise is eligible for Nigeria, England and France as well as Algeria at international level, but he has played for the French U-18s and U-21s.
