Graphic by @sourceless
Ask any Crystal Palace fan about their most talented player, and the unanimous response will be Michael Olise. Widely regarded as their finest asset, Olise carries a rare blend of attributes that allows him to tear apart even the strongest opponents anywhere, anytime, and always with a complete sense of nonchalance.
Despite the reported presence of a ~£65m release clause for Olise (a cost of the contract extension he signed in August), let's momentarily set aside the rumoured figures and delve into what factors define his value in the current market.
Michael Olise's career so far
Olise's early career included stints at several notable academies, with brief spells at Arsenal and Manchester City either side of seven years at Chelsea. After being released from the Blues, he joined Reading FC's academy at the age of 17, and started to train with the first team soon after. He made his debut less than a year after being inducted into their scholarship program, and signed a three-year contract with the club in 2019 - the contract that contained a £8.37m release clause which Palace would activate two years later.
Olise took some time to adjust to Championship football, not scoring until his third season at the Madejski stadium. However, he found his form in the 20/21 campaign, earning 19 goal contributions and winning the Young Player of the Season award.
Photo: William Early/Getty Images
Reading finished just short of the playoff spots, but Olise was destined for the Premier League, having caught the eyes of many of the best sporting directors in the country. Liverpool were perhaps his highest-profile admirers, but believed his defensive work rate wasn't yet ready to play in Jurgen Klopp's side.
It was the appointment of Patrick Vieira that convinced Olise that South London was his next destination, and that Palace could be the club he could develop at before moving onto the global stage - but with his signature came a £35m release clause of sorts that would become the topic of rumours and misinformation.
Olise's progression at Palace has been consistent. Under Patrick Vieira, he transitioned from a young impact substitute to one of the first names on the team sheet, before proving himself to be one of the best creators in the league by the end of last season. He played a pivotal role in the 22/23 campaign, picking up eleven assists in the Premier League - only Salah, Trossard, and De Bruyne managed more.
According to WhoScored, Olise was one of only two Premier League players to reach over 50 shots, dribbles, tackles, fouls won, and key passes last season. He also had the joint most assists (11) for players aged 21 and younger in Europe's top five leagues, tied with Bukayo Saka.
His tendency to take a game by the scruff of its neck is reminiscent of Wilfried Zaha's, and he never stops giving his all - whether that's a 92nd minute free kick equaliser, or a 50-metre recovery run in the last few seconds of added time.
Olise has already demonstrated his ability to perform at the highest level, and is still developing, despite his season this year being hampered by multiple injuries and defensive tactics.
What is Michael Olise worth?
The value of football players is calculated through a combination of factors, both on and off the field. While Olise's performances and potential could argue for a valuation as a £90m+ player, value is also determined by the length of the contract remaining, age, marketability, injury proneness, international status, the current contract situation, and the size of the club where the player is currently, teams like Crystal Palace lack the bargaining power to demand higher fees compared to clubs like Real Madrid or Manchester City. Furthermore, Olise could look to leverage his ability to force a move from the club and we could do little to fight back.
It's interesting to look at how different websites have evaluated his value. TransferMarkt claims he is worth €50 million (£43m), FotMob labels him at €53 million (£45m), and FootballTransfers.com places his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) between €26 and €44 million (£22 - £38m).
Eagle supporters might belly-laugh at these valuations, questioning how a player like Olise could be deemed worth so little when lesser talents have been purchased for more — Antony cost Manchester United €95 million, more than double Olise's valuation. Bukayo Saka is valued by TransferMarkt at €130 million, making it almost laughable that some sites consider him nearly triple Olise's value, given his ability, performances, and potential.
Conclusion
At just 22 years of age, and with numbers/90 that rival Bukayo Saka, there's no doubt that Olise would command an incredibly high fee - however, his recent injury history (despite being more due to mismanagement than any underlying concerns) will deter clubs from an Antony-esque overspend.
We are talking about a £80m+ player - someone that already is one of the best in his position in the Premier League - that is destined for the highest level, no matter the obstacles in his way. Palace fans know this (and so does Olise), and just hope that the success he finds at his next club softens the blow of losing a player of his quality.