Crystal Palace chief Parish responds to report that Michael Olise in contract extension talks

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has responded to reports that Michael Olise is set to earn a new contract extension with the club in order to boost his current release clause.

Olise joined the Eagles from Reading in the summer from Championship side Reading. The 20-year-old became Patrick Vieira’s first signing at Selhurst Park after Palace triggered his £8million release clause.

The Athletic reported on Monday morning that the South Londoners were looking to raise Olise’s release clause from £35m to beyond the £50m mark.

The French U21 international has scored four goals and recorded eight assists in all competitions during his first season with Palace.

Olise’s new deal would keep him at the club until 2027.

Speaking outside BoxPark Croydon following the club’s End of Season Awards, Parish was asked whether the club were looking to tie down Olise and raise the buyout in his contract.

“We don’t comment on individual players, but Michael’s had a great first season,” said the Palace chairman.

“He’s really happy here, and obviously, when you get young players, sometimes you look to amend things early to reward them for the things they’ve done.

“There are a number of those types of conversations going on with different players, and it’s always about doing the right thing early.

“It’s important in football that you don’t hang around and wait until events overtake you. You try and get out in front of those events and deal with things. I wouldn’t comment on [Michael] specifically, but there’s lots of stuff like that going on, yes.”

Palace have  secured their 10th consecutive season in the Premier League, find themselves in the top half of the table with three games remaining and reached the FA Cup semi-final under Patrick Vieira during his first season in charge.

Wilfried Zaha, the club’s top goalscorer this season with 14 in all competitions, is out of contract at the end of next season.

“Everybody has enjoyed their football – they’ve enjoyed their training and enjoyed going to work every day. Of course, we hope that is a factor in any number of things,” said Parish of the French World Cup winner Vieira and his draw in keeping Zaha and Olise at the club.

“All of those situations have got to be resolved and in the best interest of the football club and of the person.

“We are a football club who cares about the people that are here. It is a very good relationship from top to bottom at the football club that everybody has got – that is the way we do it.

“Maybe other people do it differently, and it works for them, but we have a very harmonious set-up, and we try to work it out in the best way we can. It doesn’t mean sometimes we don’t have differences of opinion, but we try to work through them, and that is what we’ll try to do this summer.”

MAIN PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD