INEOS handed perfect Manchester United transfer boost in Crystal Palace negotiations

Manchester United may be in line to pursue a swap deal with Crystal Palace in order to land Sir Jim his top attacking target this summer.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reportedly looking at Michael Olise as his top priority transfer target as INEOS gain full sporting control of Manchester United.

While the 25 per cent acquisition is being ratified by the Premier League, Ratcliffe and his team at INEOS have wasted no time getting to work with their plans at the club, having already sanctioned three contract extensions and blocked two more.

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United have been lacking heavily in the creativity department this campaign so far, with striker Rasmus Højlund only being able to score one Premier League goal this season, with six across all competitions.

Olise has been a force of creativity during his time so far at Crystal Palace and has now started adding goals to his game, with five in nine Premier League appearances after returning from injury this season.

At the same time, it has become known that Palace continue to hold a long-term interest in Aaron Wan-Bissaka despite selling him to Old Trafford for just shy of £50 million in 2019, which can hand INEOS a huge transfer boost.

United are not flush with cash at the moment, and with Olise reportedly having a buyout clause of around £60 million in his current contract, this may stretch a little too far outside the club’s budget – but using Wan-Bissaka as a makeweight in talks could significantly reduce this price.

Wan-Bissaka is the clear second-choice under Erik ten Hag for the right-back position, with the player only getting minutes when Diogo Dalot is not available or otherwise occupied, with the Portuguese international being used as a makeshift left-back at times due to injuries.