First major Ineos target could unlock Rasmus Hojlund at Manchester United

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Rio Ferdinand will surely be excited after hearing that Manchester United are interested in signing Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise.

Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have confirmed their investment into Manchester United and big changes are surely coming this year.

United need to be better both off and off the field, meaning appointments and signings aplenty are expected in the coming months.

Reports last week suggested that Ineos already have one top target in mind even without appointing a sporting director.

It was claimed that Crystal Palace wide man Michael Olise had become the first big target of the Ineos era, but probably for the summer rather than this month.

Rio Ferdinand has already suggested Michael Olise as a potential Manchester United soltuion

Olise is shining for Palace right now but is thought to have a release clause in his contract, which can be activated in the summer.

Rio Ferdinand has been impressed with Olise and actually backed him as a player to help striker Rasmus Hojlund find the net.

Hojlund has been starved of service with United’s wingers either unwilling or unable to pick him out in the penalty area.

Ferdinand suggested on Vibe With Five in December that Hojlund would have scored more goals if he had a winger like Olise supplying him, crossing the ball into the box with more regularity.

“If Man United had Olise, Jack Harrison, McNeil at Everton, Jacob Murphy at Newcastle – any one of those four wingers, I reckon he [Hojlund] would have five or six goals by now.

“Why? Because they cross the ball. All four of those boys, their first thought is get the ball, head down, either beat the full-back and cross or give me a yard and cross the ball,” said Ferdinand.

United now appear to be keen on Olise too and may feel similarly about the Frenchman, believing that he can help Hojlund more than Antony has this season.

Olise stats under the microscope

We know Olise to be an elegant winger, a player with real technical ability and the unpredictability in the final third – something we don’t often see down United’s right side.

Olise can cut inside and wreak havoc on his left foot but also has the ability to take defenders on down the outside.

Statistically, Olise is shining this season having recorded 2.7 key passes per 90 minutes this season, ahead of the likes of Martin Odegaard, Jack Grealish, Mohamed Salah, Jeremy Doku and Cole Palmer.

In terms of crossing, which is what Ferdinand was referring to, Olise has put 2.5 accurate crosses into the box per 90 minutes, which is ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold and James Ward-Prowse and puts him in the Premier League top 10.

Olise also ranks high up for inaccurate crosses per 90 minutes with 5.9, but he is at least willing to put the ball into the box.

That’s the kind of winger Hojlund would surely love to play with and Ferdinand may well be right in suggesting that he can unlock the Dane’s goalscoring talent.