Summary Chelsea are searching for Michael Olise alternatives after a £35m move fell through. The Blues may have to go to £43m in order to secure their next target. The player in question registered eight assists last season, close to matching Olise's tally.
After beating Liverpool to the double-swoop of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, it seemed that Chelsea were untouchable in the transfer market and could sign whoever they want due to their overwhelming financial muscle.
Therefore, when the Blues triggered Michael Olise’s £35m release clause, it seemed like the former Reading sensation would inevitably end up at Stamford Bridge.
However, in a mind-boggling turn of events, Olise has now signed a new four-year deal at Selhurst Park, leaving Chelsea to consider other attacking options.
Nottingham Forest’s Brennan Johnson is under consideration, but another name has come to the forefront of speculation.
Who could Chelsea sign instead of Michael Olise?
According to Fabrice Hawkins, Chelsea have accelerated their pursuit of 20-year-old Lyon prodigy Bradley Barcola following their failure to land Olise.
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However, Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in Barcola and the west London outfit’s first €35 (£30m) offer was refused by Lyon.
The player is yet to give a final agreement. Previous reports from France suggested a fee of £43m may need to be offered.
Who is Bradley Barcola?
Last season, Barcola enjoyed a stirring breakout campaign at the club he’s been at since 2010.
In 15 Ligue 1 starts, the attacker bagged five goals and crafted eight assists – his total for the metric was the highest in the squad as he has developed a formidable reputation for tricky, technique, and creativity.
The rising star also ranks impressively across the continent, sitting within the best 1% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for assists per 90, and the top 14% for successful take-ons per 90.
Despite possessing an obscene degree of skill, Barcola is deemed to be a hard-working forward who meaningfully contributes to the defensive effort – this is mirrored by his rank in the highest 10% for aerials won per 90, blocks per 90, and interceptions per 90.
The 6-foot livewire made history in April 2023, when he became the youngest player in Europe’s top five leagues to have been involved in ten goals in all competitions in 2023 (six goals and four assists).
Following this achievement, Lyon manager Laurent Blanc provided a glowing review of the Frenchman: "He surprises me on a physical level. He doesn't second-guess himself… he scores goals, even though he is not necessarily an out-and-out striker. He can easily eliminate his opponents with his technical finesse and speed.
"When he wasn't a starter, I told him to be attentive and serious because he was certainly going to be able to occupy an important position in the team. He must have thought I was crazy not to play him."
A player of this repertoire and output is a worthy alternative to Olise. It was widely assumed that he would join the two-time European Champions, but he has committed his future to the Eagles.
Palace were reportedly on the verge of launching legal action against Chelsea for their Olise approach. However, it seems that Todd Boehly has already pinpointed his next target, who like Olise, is a fountain of innovation.
Indeed, last term, the Eagles attacker registered a whopping 11 assists in the Premier League. Barcola couldn't quite manage as many but one year Olise's junior, he still has plenty of time to develop and reach the same dizzy heights.
Lauded as part of the "elite" Lyon academy by Football Talent Sout Jacek Kulig, Barcola is more than capable of becoming a useful asset at a Premier League club.