In search of a replacement for departed right winger Riyad Mahrez, Manchester City is now weighing their alternatives and may have found the ideal player.
Mahrez is expected to sign a £30 million deal to join Al-Hilal this summer after the Saudi Arabian team and Manchester City reached an agreement. In 236 games throughout his five seasons with City, Mahrez scored 78 goals and collected numerous awards.
While Josko Gvardiol was acquired from RB Leipzig, Pep Guardiola would have loved to maintain Mahrez instead of having to enter the transfer market again. However, the Algerian had already stated a desire to depart, and the Spaniard didn’t want to get in the way of that.
Guardiola understands the need for a new winger to guarantee his City team maintains the excellent form that helped them win the treble last season.
As a result, according to Football Insider, Manchester City has decided that Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise would be the ideal alternative for Mahrez on the right wing.
The 21-year-old is presently sidelined due to a hamstring injury sustained while representing France at the U21 Euros, but Olise is seen as a long-term investment by Manchester City./
Additionally, according to the source, Olise has a release clause of under £35 million, which is a remarkable bargain given the current state of the transfer market and the fact that he still has three years left on his deal.
He is also valued at the same amount by Transfermarkt, demonstrating the good value City would receive for the winger.
Olise has played two seasons for Crystal Palace, scoring six goals across all competitions and assisting on another 19 goals, mostly by cutting in from the right wing with his better-left foot.