Michael Olise has ticked enough of the INEOS boxes to become their only ‘approved’ summer target thus far. The new part-owners of Manchester United have reportedly put £60m of their transfer kitty aside for the Crystal Palace star, who is a boyhood Red Devils fan and is said to prefer a move to United over Liverpool, Chelsea or whoever else may be chasing his signature this summer.
It all sounds fairly straightforward for Olise to head to Old Trafford, but rarely is when it comes to United, and we’ve come up with five reasons why what looks like a smart move won’t actually come to pass.
No structure, no deal
Omar Berrada will be the new CEO, Dan Ashworth looks to become the sporting director, or take up a similar position of a different name, and United have also been in talks with Southampton’s Jason Wilcox over taking on a senior recruitment role at Old Trafford.
Berrada has been confirmed, Ashworth’s appointment is said to be ‘a matter if time’ and even if they don’t get Wilcox, there’s at least a desire to hire a renowned operator for that chief recruitment position. But the structure isn’t in place yet, and even if we assume it’s all sorted by the time the transfer window opens, we don’t know how smoothly it will run initially, or how many of their rivals have been whispering sweet nothings in Olise’s ears by the time those transfer chiefs are in situ.
There’s also the small matter of who will be the next Manchester United manager. Erik ten Hag is Erik ten Toast, and though it appears that in this structure a new manager will have minimal say in the signings – certainly initially – selecting someone to coach and run the team will presumably be significantly higher on the list of priorities for the CEO and directors than buying a new right winger.
Sell to buy
It’s probably the most glaringly obvious area in need of improvement, given the mess that is United’s collection of wingers.
Antony has been woeful and and there are off-field matters to consider. Mason Greenwood had charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive control against him dropped, but welcoming him back would be a PR disaster for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS. Jadon Sancho ‘isn’t completely happy’ but has rediscovered his dancing feet at Borussia Dortmund and will presumably do everything not to return.
But they need to find buyers for these players, not because Sir Jim couldn’t afford to sign Olise without sales, but because he’s walked into a club with pre-tax losses of £215 million over the last three years, while under Premier League profitability and sustainability rules, clubs are allowed maximum losses of £105 million in that time.
It’s why Paris Saint-Germain’s £80m offer for pure profit Marcus Rashford will be hugely tempting despite United valuing him at £100m, and why Saudi real estate catalogues should be ‘accidentally’ left in Casemiro’s favourite toilet stall.
If there has been anything worse than Manchester United’s record of buying players in recent years it’s their record of selling them, with Daniel James the only player to have been sold for more than £25m since 2019. They will need to get that right before opening the chequebook this summer.
Mohamed Salah leaves Liverpool
It’s all gone a bit quiet on the Salah to Saudi front, but those rumours will surely intensify as we get closer to the summer transfer window. The Egyptian would be a hugely marketable addition for any of those Saudi Pro League sides, and Liverpool would be daft to turn down what will likely be a ludicrous sum for a player with one year left to run on his contract.
Should it happen, Liverpool won’t just be in the market for a goalscoring right winger like Olise – whom they were keen on in the summer and again in January – but they’ll also have a significant wedge of cash through Salah’s sale to increase their chances of landing him and their other summer targets.
Also, we know Olise is a United fan, but playing in this Liverpool team, with Trent Alexander-Arnold or Conor Bradley behind him – even with Jurgen Klopp leaving – must be a pretty tempting prospect.
Bidding wars
Talking of temptations, playing under Pep Guardiola would be one, as would a guarantee of significant silverware at Manchester City every season. Chelsea are in no position to offer that, but far more expensive and more highly sought-after footballers have been duped into signing by promises of The Project at Stamford Bridge.
And although Sir Jim and INEOS appear to be righting many of the transfer and recruitment wrongs at United – getting football experts in football positions, targeting young players etc. – they are making an error typical of the Glazer-ravaged era before them by making their intentions public.
Liverpool, Chelsea and City now all know that their one target is Olise, and may well decide to offer £65m for sh*ts and giggles, until the stakes are raised significantly enough that the United tax that they looked to have avoided by chasing a player with a release clause is set to be paid in full, at which point the new savvy owners may decide to pull the plug.
No Champions League football
It’s not like he’s going to miss it, having never played any European football, but it’s got to be a factor in his decision, whether it be a big or small one. He would play Champions League football if he moved to Manchester City or Liverpool, while United face an uphill task to qualify, whether that fifth place becomes enough or not.
And although it’s likely he will play in the Champions League sooner or later with United, each year they’re not in it makes their return that bit harder, with FFP regulations ensuring teams already in the competition are handed a big advantage to continue qualifying for it.
There also looks set to be even greater competition for those top spots next season, with Newcastle and Chelsea unlikely to be quite so bad, joining Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Aston Villa in vying with United for those coveted four or five places.
Why would Olise gamble when he could move to a club already in the European showcase?
