Chelsea take giant leap towards signing their answer to Saka

Bukayo Saka is an individual that every team in the Premier League wants their own version of, including Chelsea. The Arsenal ace has been absolutely sensational over the past two seasons in particular, becoming a standout player for club and country.

Last campaign, the number seven scored 16 goals and provided nine assists in 35 Premier League starts, which is a fantastic record for a winger. With the 22-year-old’s brilliance in mind, let’s take a look at a Blues transfer target who could just become their very own Saka. Chelsea’s search for their own Saka

According to a report from GiveMeSport, Chelsea have taken a giant leap towards securing transfer target Michael Olise. It’s mentioned that personal terms have now been verbally agreed upon between the winger and the Blues.

This is a huge step given that Manchester United were also keen, but it’s said that “a deal isn’t close just yet.” Nevertheless, Chelsea are now in talks with Palace to arrange the “scheduling of payments” to activate his £60m release clause. How Olise compares to Saka Last season, Olise endured a campaign that mirrored a rollercoaster, with plenty of highs often followed by lows.

The French winger’s season only started in the middle of November after picking up a hamstring injury in the summer. Olise was slowly getting back to his best before another hamstring issue struck at the start of February, which saw him miss a further eight matches.

This meant that the number seven only made 14 Premier League starts across the whole campaign, but his return of ten goals and six assists proves just how influential he truly was when on the grass. As you can see from the table, it’s no surprise that FBref classified the two forwards as ‘similar players’.

Firstly, just like Saka, Olise is a left-footed right winger who can not only be deadly when cutting inside, but he’s also a threat when going to the byline to produce a cutback. The duo are among the very best in the Premier League in regards to chance creation, and they serve as a constant outlet throughout the game, with their heavy involvement displayed via their touches and passes completed.

However, the “outstanding” Olise, as dubbed by football scout Jacek Kulig, is ever so slightly more direct than the Gunners ace, which makes him more unpredictable in the final third, as shown by his superior shots and successful dribbles.

It’s also important to remember that nine of Olise’s ten goals came from open play, whereas Saka netted six from the spot, which proves their numbers are extremely similar when excluding the advantage of taking penalties.

Nevertheless, with Olise inevitably playing on the right of Enzo Maresca’s 4-2-3-1, it would mean that Cole Palmer will be handed the task of operating in central zones, and their link-up together could prove to be frightening.

Overall, signing a player of Saka’s quality in Olise would be an absolutely incredible move, and it’d certainly send a statement to the rest of the Premier League.