Hodgson hopes to keep Olise despite ‘Big Six’ interest

Roy Hodgson is hopeful that Crystal Palace can retain the services of Michael Olise despite reported interest in the winger from Manchester City and Chelsea.

Olise impressed to provide 11 assists in the Premier League last season and was named as Palace’s Players’ Player of the Season for 2022/23.

The France u-21 international’s performances are understood to have attracted interest from Chelsea and Manchester City, with the latter reportedly considering a move for Olise as a potential replacement for Riyad Mahrez.

Hodgson – who has seen Wilfried Zaha depart Selhurst Park this summer – is hopeful the Eagles can keep hold of the 21-year-old, but admits Olise’s future is ‘out of his hands’ should big bids arrive.

“No one knows really at this moment in time,” Hodgson told Sky Sports.

“If there are clubs who are desperately or seriously preparing a bid and tempting him away then he’ll have a decision to make. I can only wait and see if there are clubs who are going to come in and make those bids and tempt him away, and in that situation what decision is he going to make, because he also knows that we are really very keen to keep him here.

“We really believe this is a good place for him and that we can provide him with a very good platform to go forward in his career.

“But unfortunately these matters are totally out of my hands – everything will depend I suppose on what happens in the future.

“You can never be certain as a manager that the players you’ve got, you like and you want are always definitely going to stay because we have a transfer market.

“I can only hope that transfer market doesn’t on this occasion punish us by persuading one of our very, very important key players to move.”

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