Liverpool and Manchester United Vie for Crystal Palace Star Michael Olise’s Signature

Earlier this week, David Ornstein of The Athletic revealed that Liverpool wants to sign a wide player this summer. One name that would fit this description is Crystal Palace's Michael Olise. The 22-year-old winger is heavily linked to multiple clubs ahead of a potential summer move, including Liverpool.

ESPN's James Olley reports that Liverpool is interested in Michael Olise, and the Reds' ability to offer Champions League football could entice the player. The crucial part of Olley's reporting is that rivals Manchester United are currently in the lead in signing Olise from Crystal Palace. ESPN's reporting suggests Olise's price tag is around £50M to £60M.

Last summer, Chelsea looked like they were going to sign Michael Olise but the activation of his release clause was done incorrectly, with the French winger eventually signing a contract extension at Crystal Palace.

What could Michael Olise offer to Liverpool?

The French winger missed most of this season with separate hamstring injuries, but when he was available, he showed the star player he is. In 16 Premier League matches, Olise recorded 11 goal contributions in just 11 starts. Michael Olise is typically deployed as a right winger, although he's earned multiple starts as a number 10 in the Crystal Palace attack.

Olise's strongest traits are his dribbling and passing. He can often use his strong left foot to cut in and deliver the ball over the top to the Palace forwards. His dribbling allows him to evade defenders and open up space to make crosses or passes into the penalty area, allowing the Frenchman to rack up assists.

Michael is a quad-national; he can represent France through birth, England through residency, Algeria through his mother and Nigeria through his father. To date, he has only played at the youth level for France, but a move to a bigger club would increase the attention around the player on his international future.

With Luis Diaz's future at Liverpool up in the air, Olise could be a fantastic option for the Reds to explore as they enter a new era with Richard Hughes as sporting director and Michael Edwards as CEO of Football.