Manchester United and Man City will ‘go head-to-head in race for Crystal Palace midfielder Michael Olise’ with Pep Guardiola and Erik ten Hag eyeing up sensation as ‘major summer target’

Manchester United and Manchester City are set to face off against each other in the race to sign Crystal Palace‘s Michael Olise this summer, according to reports.

Midfielder Olise is thought to be on the shortlist of both heavyweight clubs after catching the eye at Selhurst Park and could be poised to make a big-money move.

The Sun claim free-spending City view Olise as a major capture ahead of the next campaign and that figures are now lining up an eye-catching offer.

But United, who are braced for a hectic transfer window under the guidance of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, are also keen on making the 22-year-old a flagship arrival. 

With both clubs expected to make official proposals, City, it is said, hope that the chance to join Pep Guardiola‘s star-studded ranks will tempt Olise to choose them.

Pep Guardiola and Erik ten Hag are set to go head-to-head in the race for the midfielder

A fee of £60million or more has been touted, with money no object for City.

Olise’s trickery on the ball and ability to operate off the right flank may well make him the perfect match for United and City, both of whom are open to reinforcements.

Chelsea also approached Olise at the start of the season but were rebuffed, with the attacker instead choosing to pledge his future to Palace in a surprise move. 

The same publication say that game time will prove a major factor in his thinking. 

Olise has scored six goals and recorded three assists this season. His contract runs until 2027 and there is said to be a release clause of an unknown amount in the deal.

He may be forced to sit out for a number of matches, however, after picking up an untimely injury in Palace’s 4-1 defeat by rivals Brighton and Hove Albion.

Olise has caught the eye at Palace and could now move for £60million or more, reports claim

Palace fell to a heavy defeat by rivals Brighton and Olise limped off during the second half

Despite being a doubt heading into the match after being forced off during the 3-2 victory against Sheffield United, Olise was brought on during the half-time interval.

Palace, who trailed 3-0 at the break, then lost Olise after he re-aggravated an injury. Boss Roy Hodgson, however, said he had been cleared to play the sensation.

‘I was told he couldn’t start the game and everyone was quite comfortable with that,’ he told reporters post-match. ‘They (medical staff) told me and he told me he was fine to be on the bench and play in the second half.

‘Unfortunately because I don’t have a crystal ball, I wasn’t to know that was to lead to him getting a recurrence of his injury, that’s exactly what we did. It’s the same with the hindsight that says you’re losing 3-0 why put one of your better players on.

‘The answer to that is we brought him all the way here to be on the bench to play in the second half and we wanted our better players on the field. 

‘It’s not easy when you’ve got a player of his quality able to play to just say “oh, by the way, I know we’ve brought you all the way here to play, I’ve changed my mind, you’ll just have to sit on the bench and watch it”.’