England Monitoring Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise for Future Selection

Gareth Southgate has disclosed that England are closely monitoring Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise after his omission from France’s squad for the European Championship.

Olise’s International Eligibility

Born in London to a Nigerian father and a French-Algerian mother, Olise, 22, is eligible to represent four nations. Despite his impressive performance, he was overlooked by France’s national team boss Didier Deschamps for the summer’s Euros. Olise has previously been capped at Under-18 and U-21 levels for France.

Stellar Season with Crystal Palace

Olise ended the season on a high note, scoring 10 League goals and providing six assists in just 14 starts. Southgate has acknowledged Olise’s talent, stating, “He is obviously a very good player, he hasn’t made their squad. They might be taking him to the Olympics, I don’t know. He is a player we should have an interest in because he is a very good player but there is no way you could do all of that in time for the Euros.”

Transfer of Association Required

To represent England, Olise would need to undergo a transfer of association, a process that Southgate notes would take considerable time. “He would have to have a transfer of association,” Southgate mentioned after announcing his 33-man provisional squad for the tournament.

England’s Training Group Inclusions

Meanwhile, four of Olise’s Palace teammates, Eberechi Eze, Adam Wharton, Marc Guehi, and Dean Henderson, have made it to England’s training group. Eze has the opportunity to showcase his skills in the upcoming warm-up games against Bosnia & Herzegovina on June 3 and Iceland on June 7. With Jude Bellingham set to miss these matches due to his involvement in the Champions League Final with Real Madrid, Eze’s inclusion is crucial.

Southgate expressed caution regarding Bellingham’s participation, stating, “We could get him [for Iceland] in but I think it is more important to have a few days [rest]. It’s been an incredible season whatever the consequence of the Champions League Final.”