Dimitar Berbatov has advised Manchester United to be cautious about signing Michael Olise, as a previous transfer of a Crystal Palace player to United did not go well. United has been interested in signing Olise, a winger for Palace, for several weeks, but a deal has not yet been finalized.
Despite Olise’s impressive performance of scoring five goals and providing an assist in just nine Premier League matches this season, which has been affected by a hamstring injury, Berbatov, a former player for United, is skeptical about his old club’s attempt to recruit the 22-year-old. The Bulgarian questioned whether Olise, who is a France under-21 international, would be a good fit at Old Trafford and referred to the unsuccessful transfer of Wilfried Zaha from Palace to United in 2013.
“Man United have to be careful with transfers, and seeing the link to Michael Olise made me think about when they signed Wilf Zaha. Zaha came from Crystal Palace too and his spell at Man United was short-lived and unsuccessful,” Berbatov, who played for United between 2008-12, told Betfair.
“They need to make sure that Olise is what’s needed at the club. Is he going to help? Is he going to elevate the team in any way? It’s a sensitive situation for Man United so they need to be careful.
“Olise has a lot to improve on, but he has shown great quality on the pitch in his career so far. He needs the right environment and the right manager around him because if it’s not right for him then performances on the pitch will suffer.”
Olise recently signed a contract extension with Crystal Palace until the summer of 2027. However, it is unlikely that he will stay at Selhurst Park for the entire duration of his contract. Manchester United, who are in need of a rebuild, could potentially be a good fit for the talented winger. Despite Palace acquiring Olise for a modest fee of £8m in 2021, it is uncertain whether he would be able to thrive at a club of United’s magnitude, considering the history of expensive signings that have failed to deliver.
The January transfer window for English clubs will close on February 1 at midnight, leaving United and other interested teams with limited time to complete a transfer for Olise. In the meantime, Olise’s current team, Palace, will face Sheffield United, who are currently struggling, on January 30.
