Michael Olise Scout Report: Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho Replacement

In 2021 Manchester United signed Jadon Sancho for £73m from Borussia Dortmund. A year later, the Reds spent £85m to secure the services of Brazilian winger Antony. While both came to United with a growing reputation in world football, neither have lived up to expectations. Now United are once again set to enter the market for a right-winger. Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise is said to be the leading candidate to fill the position on United’s right flank. 

Date of Birth: 12/12/2001 (22)
Position: Right-Wing
Strong Foot: Left
Height: 1.84m (6ft)

Who is Michael Olise?

Embed from Getty Images

Olise is a 22 year-old right-winger currently playing his football at Selhurst Park for Crystal Palace. Olise, who was born in London but represents France at youth international level, joined Palace from Reading in 2021 for less than €10m. Last season, the French youth international took his game to the next level and has continued to develop even more this season. 

Due to his excellent performances for Roy Hodgson’s side, Olise has now attracted interest from Old Trafford. According to The Standard, United are interested in making Olise one of the first signings of the Sir Jim Ratcliffe era. The story suggests Olise has been identified as a transfer target at United ahead of a planned overhaul of their squad at the end of the season.

Last summer, when Olise had a £35m release clause, both Chelsea and Manchester City expressed interest. In the end, Olise signed a new deal at Palace. His new deal at Selhurst Park, which is valid until June 2027, is also said to include a release clause which is rumoured to be around £60m. 

Strengths 

Olise is one of the most exciting young wingers in the Premier League. In the 2022-23 Premier League season, Olise registered 11 assists and he created an impressive 72 chances. In the 2023-24 Premier League season so far, he has averaged a staggering 5.85 shot-creating actions per 90. The The winger is an extremely intelligent footballer and his decision making is where he excels. He’s also a great crosser of the ball, something that United’s Danish centre-forward Rasmus Højlund would be happy to hear. Apart from Sancho, who’s on the verge of joining Borussia Dortmund on loan following his fallout with Erik ten Hag, none of United’s wide players are elite creators. Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Antony tend to opt for more selfish decisions instead of trying to create a chance. Olise would give Ten Hag the option of a creative wide-player. 

Embed from Getty Images

Olise is also tricky to deal with in 1v1 situations. In the 2022-23 Premier League season, he averaged 1.77 successful take ons per 90 but this season, he’s taken it up a level. So far in the 2023-24 Premier League season, he’s averaged an impressive 3.19 successful take-ons per 90, ranking him amongst the best dribblers in the league. His ability to progress the ball up the pitch is also very good, and he has averaged 4.52 progressive passes per 90 as well as 3.86 progressive carries per 90 in the 2023-24 Premier League season so far. 

The ex-Reading winger also has an eye for goal. So far this season, he’s found the back of the net five times in the Premier League. Olise’s ball-striking ability is very good, as he showcased with his free-kick against United at Selhurst Park last season. 

Olise also excels out of possession. He has shown that he is a good high-presser which is crucial as high-pressing is a cornerstone of Erik ten Hag’s style of play at United. Last season in the Premier League, Olise won the ball 22 times in the final third. In that same season, he also made an impressive 165 ball recoveries. He has also won nearly 55% of his duels in the Premier League this season which is fairly good.  

Weaknesses

Olise doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses in his game however, there is some room for improvement in ball-retention. United have a lot of risk-takers so it’s good to have a few players in the team who know how to keep the ball so United can maintain some level of control. Antony’s ability to keep the ball is one of the reasons Ten Hag has favoured him so much. While Olise isn’t necessarily bad in this regard, there is some room for improvement. 

Another slight worry regarding Olise is his injury record. Last season he suffered a hamstring injury which sidelined him for over four months. Olise has recently sustained another hamstring injury which means he will now miss the rest of January 2024. Recurring injuries are a big concern and something United will need to keep in mind during their pursuit of the 22 year-old. 

Where would Olise fit in at Manchester United?

Embed from Getty Images

Should United secure Olise’s signature, he would likely immediately slot in on the right-wing. His ability to create chances means he could form a really exciting partnership with Rasmus Højlund. Olise is also reliant on runners from midfield so he could also link up with Bruno Fernandes who normally occupies the right-half space when United are attacking. 

Three things that Antony has that Ten Hag values so much is the fact he’s left-footed, can hold the width and his works hard out of possession. Olise can do all of that and more. United have also had issues breaking down low-blocks this season and Ten Hag’s men have struggled to find the back of the net in general. Olise could provide that extra creative spark that takes United’s attacking play to the next level. 

In terms of competition for his place on the right-wing, it’s likely that Jadon Sancho will no longer be a United player next season. Antony’s performances this season have been nothing short of abysmal and his future could be in doubt if he fails to find form. That said, Antony did show some promising signs last season and certainly has quality. Whether he’ll be able to show that regularly in a United shirt is another question. 

Garnacho could be the man to provide completion to Olise. The Argentinian put in a stellar performance against Aston Villa on the right-wing. However, time will tell whether his long-term future is on the left or right-wing. 

Verdict 

Embed from Getty Images

Olise should be very high on United’s list for the right-wing position going into the summer. Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams and PSV Eindhoven’s Johan Bakayoko have both also been linked to United, but Olise is the standout option. He ticks almost all the boxes and would provide some much needed extra quality in attack. 

It’s important to remember though that while United have begun identifying transfer targets for the summer, INEOS will almost certainly employ a new sporting director before the summer transfer window opens, with Newcastle’s Dan Ashworth said to be the leading candidate at the moment. Paul Mitchell has also been mentioned as a potential option for the role, but a recent report from Pete Hall of iNews claims that Mitchell could be brought in as United’s head of recruitment to work alongside Ashworth. 

Until United’s new recruitment structure is in place, it’s impossible to be certain about who United will go for but if a new right-winger is on the agenda, Olise should be at the top of that list.