Premier League giants Chelsea decided not to sign Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise despite strong interest in his services.
The Blues targeted the Palace star last summer but the player decided to sign a new contract at Selhurst Park, surprising Chelsea with his decision.
Chelsea revived their interest in the player this summer again with his Premier League form impressing some of the biggest clubs in England.
Olise scored 10 Premier League goals and provided 6 assists in 19 appearances in the 2023-24 season, forcing the west Londoners to target him, along with Manchester United.
However, the Premier League club have now decided not to pursue a move for the winger because of his wage demands.
According to The Athletic, Chelsea pulled out of the deal to sign him because the finances involved in the deal did not make sense to them.
The player’s wage demands were too much for Chelsea to accept and they made the decision to stop their chase.
The hierarchy at Stamford Bridge are trying to make a more disciplined environment at the club as far as the wage bill is concerned.
The club have taken the decision to act smartly by not offering players extravagant wages moving forward and they would much rather prefer to reward existing players than new signings.
New manager Enzo Maresca is expected to be backed by the club in his first summer transfer window.
Chelsea want more attackers despite squad depth
Despite the Blues having Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer and Mykhailo Mudryk as winger options in their squad, they are still expected to make moves for more attacking players.
Perhaps not signing Olise is the right decision from the Stamford Bridge outfit, as they did not surrender to the players’ demands.
Olise is likely to join Bayern Munich this summer and only time will tell if Chelsea will regret their decision or not.