Man Utd to sign Crystal Palace as first January signing

Manchester United are close to sealing their first January transfer.

This comes as reports revealed Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise is close to becoming one of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s first signings at Old Trafford.

Ratcliffe, who recently acquired a minority stake in the Red Devils for £1.3 billion, is reported to be ready to trigger Olise’s release clause in the summer.

It is no news that Man Utd have struggled with their recruitment under the Glazers but Ratcliffe seems ready to make some new changes.

The reports revealed that Dan Ashworth and Paul Mitchell are among the favourites to emerge as sporting director and director of football at Old Trafford respectively.

Olise was linked to move to Chelsea and Manchester City last summer, but he chose to sign a new four-year contract with Palace.

His contract included a release clause, however, which will become active in the summer and is thought to be only a little higher than the £35 million clause that existed in his previous deal – though it was complicated to activate.