(Football news) The former Dinamo Zagreb player had previously attracted the attention of several major European teams with his home performances, but his incredible achievements at Euro 2024 have cemented his ascent to stardom.
Olmo didn’t start for Luis de la Fuente at the start of the competition, losing out to midfielders Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, and Pedri. However, after the latter’s knee injury, Olmo has really stepped up in his place.
At the European Championships, Olmo had a combined total of three goals. He first scored against Georgia in the round of 16, then came on to replace the injured Pedri against Germany to score the first goal in that team’s 2-1 quarterfinal victory.
The 26-year-old subsequently made just his second start of the tournament in Tuesday’s semi-final with France, where he completed a terrific comeback with a sublime touch and strike, which deflected into the net off of Jules Kounde.
Chelsea, Liverpool ‘unlikely’ to move for Olmo
Olmo also boasts two assists at the Euros and appears nailed-on to start Sunday’s final against England, which comes one day before a £50m release clause in his RB Leipzig contract expires.
The Bundesliga side are fearful that Olmo’s £50m option will be triggered in the next few days, and clubs in both Spain and England are weighing up whether to activate the clause.
Chelsea and Liverpool have both been strongly linked with a switch for Olmo, and the Blues are said to have held discussions with his camp, but a deal is seen as unlikely at this stage.
Furthermore, Liverpool are not believed to hold a serious interest in the Spain international, as the Reds are instead prioritising other areas in the transfer market, notably defence and a new number six.
Should no interested party trigger Olmo’s release clause by Monday, Leipzig will reportedly up their asking price for the 26-year-old – whose contract runs until 2027 – to around £60m or £70m.
Could Olmo return to Barcelona?
As neither Liverpool nor Chelsea are thought to be serious contenders at this stage, a return to Barcelona has been mooted for Olmo, who was in the La Masia youth system from 2007 until 2014 before joining Dinamo Zagreb.
La Blaugrana are already said to have made a verbal offer to Leipzig, but they cannot afford to pay Olmo’s release clause in full and must therefore satisfy the German giants with a favourable payment structure.
Olmo himself has unsurprisingly been asked about his future amid his stellar Euro 2024 campaign, but he refused to give too much away, simply saying “we’ll see” when asked what his next move may be.
The Spaniard has conjured up 29 goals and 34 assists in 148 matches for RB Leipzig since joining from Dinamo Zagreb midway through the 2019-20 season, including eight goals and five assists from 25 games in 2023-24.
Also read: Barcelona agree signing a top Spanish player after the Euro 2024
