Chelsea have activated the £35 million release clause in Michael Olise’s Crystal Palace contract, which could be bad news for Leeds United.
According to reports from various journalists including Fabrizio Romano, a deal is now advancing to the final stages for Chelsea to sign the 21-year-old winger from Palace.
Olise is set to be the second big named wide attacker leaving Selhurst Park this summer, with talismanic figure Wilfried Zaha also having departed earlier in the window.
Palace have spent big to bring in Brazilian wonderkid Matheus Franca from Flamengo, but with Olise set to follow Zaha out of the exit door, they will need another.
One player who they have been linked with this summer is Leeds’ Crysencio Summerville, and Olise’s move to Chelsea could now see them firm up that interest.
Chelsea activating Olise clause is bad news for Leeds’ hopes of keeping Summerville
According to reliable Daily Telegraph reporter Mike McGrath, Summerville is a player they admire having assessed several midfielders during the window.
Thanks to Summerville’s ability to play in all three positions behind the attacker, he would be an ideal replacement for both Zaha and Olise, and a reported asking price of £12 million (Telegraph) means he wouldn’t be too expensive.
If Palace are to firm up their interest in Summerville, this would be horrendous news for Leeds having already lost a winger in Jack Harrison earlier this week.
Luis Sinisterra and Wilfried Gnonto are also looking to force their way out of Elland Road before the end of the window and if they are to succeed in doing so, all of a sudden Leeds’ strongest position previously now looks like their weakest.
Summerville shone in Leeds’ opening day draw with Cardiff City but is now ruled out until the end of the month with a groin injury picked up in the match.
Losing Summerville, Gnonto, Sinisterra and Harrison would mean Leeds’ squad has an extremely mid-table look to it.