New banter-free Man Utd era should begin with ice-cold winger signing

Manchester United are finally on the cusp of a new era with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS taking a minority stake in the club but major responsibilities in its operation. Player recruitment will be key to getting off to the right start and they should no look further than Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise for their first signing.

This might sound knee-jerk given the 22-year-old is less than a day removed from a duet with fellow magician Eberechi Eze that eventually dismantled Sheffield United and gave Crystal Palace a precious victory in their bid for survival. But it was hardly a one-off.

Despite playing just 10 league games this season due to a hamstring injury, Olise has registered six goals and three assists in the league.

It is a goals contribution to games ratio to rival anyone in the league and is made all the more impressive given he has made just eight starts.

After understandably taking time to get back into the groove on his return in November, Olise has been in incredible form, his goal and two assists vs the Blades being the fifth game in which he has either scored or set up a teammate (he missed Palace’s 5-0 defeat at Arsenal).

Alongside Eze, he is the reason Palace do not find themselves lower down the table, but it is clear to all that both players’ potential will likely see them leave Selhurst Park in the near future.

Olise could have departed last summer when Chelsea activated his then-£35m buy-out clause. Possibly wary of the basket case that is the Blues and their haphazard transfer policy, he steered clear, signing a new four-year contract with the Eagles.

But it is one that reportedly contains a new buy-out clause, which United should be the first to unlock. He is the exact type of player and profile they need to target and acquire moving forward.

Firstly, the former Reading man has a mindset and mentality that appears perfectly suited to the upper echelons of the sport.

It could be just on the surface, but he looks ice cold during games and in crunch moments; his last-minute penalty against Manchester City this season and his stunning free-kick against United just over a year ago are a testament to this, as are his often-non celebrations.

Age also obviously comes into play, with United looking to launch their latest and hopefully first lasting rebuild (in a decade, anyway) this summer.

Ratcliffe and co. should be looking to build around a youthful core, so Olise fits the bill to a tee alongside Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund, who might be three of very few players with a long-term future at Old Trafford.

Reports have suggested the INEOS chief and his team want to focus on buying British too, which seems apt given the petrochemical billionaire’s Brexit leanings and, again, this signing make sense even if the Palace winger represents France at Under-21 level.

Born in London to a Nigerian father and a French-Algerian mother, Olise has lived in England for his entire life, playing in all of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City Academy sides before making the move to Reading and first-team football.

A bedding-in period is needed for any player but he is Premier League proven and would help with homegrown quotas if anyone outside of administration cares for that.

As a player, Olise is everything United have missed for so long. His mindset and mentality tie in with his playing style, which is one of daring, fearless and unpredictable brilliance.

Outside of Garnacho and occasionally Marcus Rashford, United have not enjoyed that since the halcyon days with so many of their players having their talent stolen by the Monstars just as they signed their contracts at Old Trafford, while others were has-beens or never-weres.

He has always been a creator (see his 11 assists last season) and an excellent crosser of the ball (his assist for Eze’s first strike against Sheffield United) and he has now added goals to his repertoire.

Like so many wingers in the modern game, Olise plays on the right but often cuts in on his left, but he is also more than adept at crossing with his right foot, which marks him down as a complete opposite of United’s current right winger, Antony.

Antony’s big-money move has been the most regular stick to beat Erik ten Hag and his signing is an indictment of United’s long-term failing transfer policy, only adding to the long-standing issue United have had in that position.

Since Antonio Valencia made the switch to right-back circa 2014, United have simply not replaced him. Olise could solve that problem, as well as so many others at the club and in the side.

So, what could stop the move for a childhood United fan from materialising? Competition will be stiff and Olise could even be warned off by the experience of another Palace winger and his former teammate, Wilfred Zaha, at Old Trafford a decade ago.

Zaha was Sir Alex Ferguson’s last signing in January 2013 but by the time he arrived at the club, David Moyes and, more notably, Ed Woodward were on board as United’s decline began.

The initial signs under Ratcliffe seem to be positive, with the appointment of Omar Berrada and promise of more changes at football level a marked difference to the Glazers’ negligence.

Like Zaha marked the end of a glorious era, could Olise be part of a new one? United would be foolish not to at least try.