Crystal Palace win race to sign £26m Matheus Franca

Palace have agree to pay an initial £17m for the Brazilian talent plus a further £9m in add-ons, as they step up plans to reshape their attack following the exit of Wilfried Zaha.

Franca, who can play across the front line as well as in midfield, caught the eye of a number of Premier League clubs following a breakthrough season with Flamengo.

Chelsea and Newcastle had been linked with the teenager but Palace have swooped to sign him.

He is due to travel to London this week for a medical and to finalise a move to Selhurst Park.

Franca is regarded as a huge talent in South America and would be a real coup for Palace, who have lost their talisman Zaha this summer after he rejected the offer of a new contract to join Galatasaray on a free transfer.

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Crystal Palace youngster Michael Olise is attracting interest from some of the biggest clubs in the Premier League, and presenter HLTCO has addressed a potential agreement between the club and player, while speaking to GIVEMESPORT.

The Eagles will undoubtedly be planning on keeping hold of him this summer, but it might not be that easy.

Crystal Palace transfer news – Michael Olise

Olise signed for Palace back in 2021 from Reading for a fee of just £8m, as per the BBC.

The 21-year-old has become a key figure in the Palace side since making the move to Selhurst Park, and is now attracting interest from other clubs.

As per Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, both Manchester City and Chelsea are keen on the tricky attacking player, who reportedly has a release clause of £35m.

With Riyad Mahrez on his way out at the Etihad Stadium and Chelsea picking up as much young talent as possible, it’s no surprise to see both clubs linked with a move for Olise.

Journalist Fabrice Hawkins has recently claimed that Chelsea have offered around £39m to sign Olise, a little higher than his reported release clause.

This has caused a bit of confusion regarding whether Olise even has a release clause, and HLTCO has now provided some insight into what he believes is the situation.

What has HLTCO said about Olise?

HLTCO has suggested that there used to be a release clause in Olise’s contract, which has now been formally removed.

However, the presenter adds that he believes there is an agreement between Olise and Palace that if an offer of at least £35m arrives on the table, that it must be presented to him and his representatives.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: “I think the whole story with Olise has revolved around the potential existence of this release clause.

“There was a report on the same day that it was announced that Wilfried Zaha was leaving for Galatasaray that Chelsea had put in an offer of £39m even though there was a rumoured release clause of £35m, which obviously sent news cycles into a bit of a tailspin.

“I’m still trying to work out with exact clarity what the scenario is there. I think there was a release clause of £35m which has now been formally removed. But, there is an agreement between Crystal Palace and Olise and his representatives that any bid of £35m or more has to be formally brought to them as one to be discussed.

Losing both Zaha and Olise in the same transfer window would be absolutely catastrophic for Palace.

If Roy Hodgson’s side want to progress, it’s imperative they keep hold of their key players this summer.

Finding a replacement for Zaha could be the next task for the recruitment team, as the Eagles look to build on the work Hodgson did last season and push up the table.