Liverpool could hold key $76m advantage over Chelsea in Michael Olise transfer race

Which position should be Liverpool’s priority in the transfer window this summer? For many supporters, the Reds are in need of a center-back, particularly now that Joël Matip has left the club.

Other fans would prefer to see an elite defensive midfielder brought into the squad. Yet those in the know say Liverpool are in the market for a wide forward.

According to The Athletic, a wide forward is one of the areas the Reds are exploring. And Michael Olise of Crystal Palace is rumored to be one player who could fit the bill for the Reds.

READ MORE: Michael Olise 'agrees terms' ahead of transfer as Arsenal keen on $54m Liverpool 'target'

READ MORE: Chelsea makes first move to steal march on $77m Liverpool transfer target

He scored 14 goals and provided six assists in the Premier League this season, despite only making 14 starts and 19 appearances in total. The 22-year-old will be in high demand, though as he signed a contract extension until 2027 last summer. Olise will not be cheap to acquire.

Another club linked with a move for the Palace forward is Chelsea. The Blues already have Olise’s younger brother Richard on their books and are supposedly looking to engineer a family reunion of sorts.

With the sums Toddy Boehly has permitted the club to spend, Chelsea likely has the financial firepower to make the Olise dream a reality. It has also been reported that it will offer players in part exchange for the France under-21 international, with Armando Broja, Cesare Casadei and Trevoh Chalobah among those whom it is said could be on their way out of Stamford Bridge this summer.

However, after a difficult season on the pitch, which saw it finish sixth in the Premier League, Chelsea could be at a distinct disadvantage when compared to the Reds. Liverpool ended the Jürgen Klopp era by making a return to the Champions League, which could be key if its rumoured interest in Olise is real.

Olise reportedly has a complicated clause in his contract which can only be triggered by clubs who are playing in the Champions League (per The Telegraph). It is believed the condition sets his fee in this circumstance at around $76.2m (£60m/€71.1m), roughly the same figure which Liverpool spent on Dominik Szoboszlai. Could a move to Anfield be on the cards for Olise this summer as a result?

Liverpool.com says: It must be stressed that the details of the supposed release clause have never been confirmed and remain shrouded in confusion. The details as rumoured certainly seem plausible, though, and they could give the Reds a vital edge in the race to sign one of the most talented young players in the Premier League.