Crystal Palace have completed the $10.23 million transfer of Michael Olise from Reading. The young English attacking midfielder becomes the first signing of manager Patrick Vieira at Selhurst Park.The 19-year-old starlet has signed a five-year contract with the Eagles after a season with Reading that saw him earn seven goals and 12 assists from 46 games playing for the Championship club.Olise started his youth career with Chelsea before joining Manchester City and then Reading, where he worked his way through the system and earned a first-team debut in March 2019, aged just 17. This achievement, along with three further senior appearances, secured Olise Reading’s Scholar of the Season Award for 2018/19. The Royals were keen to keep the youngster, but couldn’t prevent him from leaving after Palace had triggered the release clause in his contract.Olise is such a baller. The Premier League ain’t ready. pic.twitter.com/ban3o9tfmZ— TheFootballist. (@_TheFootballist) July 8, 2021 The strong left-footed dribbler with an eye for a through ball was Reading’s main creator at such a young age that it was only a matter of time before a club would offer to take him up to the Premier League.”It’s a big moment – Premier League football. It’s a great club, and I’m very excited to be here. Good players, a good manager, so I’m ready to start. I had a conversation with the manager about my role in the team. We spoke about the plans, the development and the vision for the club. It’s very good, so I thought it was a good fit.”Michael has played for the French Youth side at the Toulon Espoirs Tournament last year, but is still eligible to represent four nations on a senior level. He was born in England to a Nigerian father and a French-Algerian mother. He could thus play for England, Nigeria, Algeria or France. 🤝 Having put pen to paper with the club, Olise said: “It’s a big moment – Premier League football. It’s a great club and I’m very excited to be here. Good players, a good manager, so I’m ready to start.”#CPFC pic.twitter.com/intDQOYJvZ— CPFC Transfers HQ (@CPFCtransfersHQ) July 8, 2021 Palace finished 14th under Roy Hodgson last season, but with 11 first-team squad players becoming free agents this off-season, they are likely to embark upon a major overhaul. The former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira arrived to oversee a massive project of reinvigorating the Eagles. The Frenchman loves to have talented youngsters in the squad.”We have the tools in our football club to make him a better player, and we’ve known him quite well because he’s a player the football club have been following for a long time. I think it is important to refresh the squad, to bring some new faces, to bring young talent here, and this is a really good signing for us.”
