Arsenal are interested in signing Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Speaking on the United Stand YouTube channel, Romano said that the Gunners have watched the France Under 21 international “multiple times” but they will face competition from Manchester United and Chelsea for his signature:

“Arsenal have been scouting the player multiple times so I think it will be a quite open race for Olise. It’s not something that is decided now [in January]. It’s going to take some time.”

“Also, the player wants to understand what kind of project will be at Manchester United, what’s going to happen at Chelsea, for example, what is the idea of Arsenal… so before deciding on your next club, next step, you always take some time, and this is exactly what Olise did last summer when he was close to joining Chelsea, then at some point he decided to respect the pact he had at Crystal Palace and sign a new deal.”

Olise’s release clause is lower than £60m

When the 22-year-old signed a new contract with Palace last summer, it was reported that a release clause was included in the agreement.

The buyout fee was believed to be £60m but Romano says that, while he doesn’t have the exact figure at the moment, it is “less than” that amount. That will make Olise an even more attractive target for Arsenal and other clubs.

Arsenal will be keeping an eye on the player’s fitness

The Frenchman is clearly a very talented player. In the Premier League this season, he has scored 5 goals in just 9 appearances. However, he has struggled to stay fit.

Olise missed the first few months of the campaign due to a hamstring injury he picked up playing for France at last summer’s European Under 21 Championships. He has subsequently sustained a similar injury which has kept him out of Palace’s last four fixtures.

With that sort of fitness record, Mikel Arteta’s side may think twice about shelling out a sizeable sum to secure his services.