Chelsea are still extremely active in the transfer window this week despite their return to Premier League football against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon.
The Blues are currently embroiled in a huge transfer saga with Moises Caicedo and their opponents in the top flight opener, with Liverpool having a £111m bid accepted by Brighton and Hove Albion – although reports suggest the Ecuadorian midfielder is only interested in a move to Chelsea.
Whilst the spotlight is firmly on a deal for Caicedo, there is still plenty of work to do for the west London club in other areas of the pitch as Mauricio Pochettino endeavours to rebuild the squad and improve the performances seen last season.
Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…
Chelsea have seen a number of key players leave the club this summer with Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, N'Golo Kante, Kouadio Koulibaly, Cesar Azpilecuta and Kai Havertz just a few of the high-profile exits the club has experienced over the last few months.
Who are Chelsea's transfer targets?
The Blues have been linked with a number of players this summer and this week it is Crystal Palace star Michael Olise who has been named as a top target.
In a report for Football Insider, journalist and transfer insider Pete O'Rourke has claimed that Chelsea are stepping up their pursuit of Olise, after missing out on Mohammed Kudus.
It is noted in the report that Olise has a £35m release clause in his contract, an investment that the west Londoners should be able to commit to owing to their financial power.
How good is Michael Olise?
Bolstering the attacking threat would be a massive advantage for Pochettino, as it is an area of the squad that has not only been weakened but struggled to find consistency last season.
Chelsea only managed to score 38 goals throughout their 2022/23 campaign which led to their 12th place finish in the top flight, with only Wolverhampton Wanderers, Southampton, Everton and Bournemouth scoring fewer.
As a result, the signing of Olise – once hailed a "special talent" by former Eagles boss Patrick Vieira – would be a great opportunity to add a high-quality player who not only has the Premier League experience to make an instant impact, but can add the much-needed creativity in the final third to replace Mount's influence and versatility in the squad.
Like the Cobham academy graduate who joined Manchester United this summer, Olise has a wealth of experience playing in a number of roles over his career so far, including central, attacking and right midfield, as well as in the right-winger position too, something that could be a highly valuable asset to Pochettino this season.
When comparing Olise's output to Mount's last season, the Crystal Palace talisman comfortably outperformed his positional peer in a number of key attributes including goal contributions (13 v 5), shots on target rate (27.5% v 27.3%), shot-creating actions per 90 (4.68 v 3.11) and goal-creating actions per 90 (0.43 v 0.38), proving he is much more effective in the attacking threat.
With that being said, if Chelsea could get a deal over the line for Olise it would not only provide Pochettino with the dream Mount successor, but could also make up for Christopher Nkunku's absence – who is set to be out of action for four months following a knee injury.