“Deal was all but done” – Journalist explains why Chelsea made surprise transfer U-turn

A deal taking Michael Olise to Chelsea was all but done before the Blues seemingly pulled out due to the threat of legal action from Crystal Palace.

That’s according to Football Insider journalist Fraser Fletcher on Twitter, with the reporter explaining that Chelsea looked close to signing Olise before re-thinking due to being worried about Palace taking action against them.

See below for details from Fletcher as he commented on this U-turn from Chelsea, following an official announcement from Palace chairman Steve Parish earlier this afternoon…

Likely this is a case of Chelsea not being dragged into hassle they dont have time for rather than anything else. 17 days of the window left and a lot of work to do

— Fraser Fletcher (@FrazFletcher) August 17, 2023

Olise is a top talent who could’ve been an exciting signing for Chelsea, but it seems fans of the west London giants can forget about this one for now.

It could already be that Nottingham Forest winger Brennan Johnson is emerging as an alternative in that position for Chelsea, according to a report from the Guardian earlier today.

Johnson has impressed with Forest and could be a good option for top clubs to look at, even if Olise probably looks like he has a slightly higher ceiling.

The post “Deal was all but done” – Journalist explains why Chelsea made surprise transfer U-turn appeared first on CaughtOffside.