This is Bavaria's 55-million-man Michael Olise
Bixente Lizarazu, Willy Sagnol, Franck Ribéry, Kingsley Coman, Mathys Tel. French players are often fan favorites at FC Bayern. Will Michael Olise join this trend? In England, he is celebrated for cult interviews and goals reminiscent of a Bayern legend.
France has been nurturing offensive top talents consistently for years. Many of them have left their mark in the Bundesliga. In recent years, fans have been delighted with players like Bayern's Kingsley Coman, Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby, and Ousmane Dembélé of Borussia Dortmund on the wing positions. In 2022, the record champions signed the next promising youngster from the neighboring country, Mathys Tel. Now comes the next one: Shortly after France's entry into the Euro 2020 semifinals, FC Bayern announced the signing of Michael Olise.
Michael Olise does not fit at all into the long line of French stars at FC Bayern. This becomes apparent when you hear him speak. Fluent English with a broad London dialect. Not only did Olise play most recently for Crystal Palace in the English capital, but he was also born and football-socialized in London. In his youth, he played for a short time for Arsenal and Manchester City, but especially for Chelsea. From 2009 to 2016, he wore the shoes for the Blues and encountered various other high-talents. One of them he will soon meet again.
But why will Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise soon play in the same team? Why did FC Bayern pay 55 million Euro - only Matthijs de Ligt, Lucas Hernández, and Harry Kane were more expensive in the club's transfer history - for a striker without a national team and a Champions League appearance? Michael Olise has other strengths than his (future) national teammates Ousmane Dembélé or Kingsley Coman. He is not so much a tempo dribbler, always looking for a challenging duel with the opposing full-back.
Olise does something that everyone at FC Bayern knows works. Inside run, shot in the far corner, goal. In the Allianz Arena, this sequence has been seen countless times, thanks to Arjen Robben. His most beautiful goal, Olise probably scored according to this formula in November 2022 against West Ham United. It is the winning goal. In the 94th minute. In the interview after the game, a reporter asks if he can explain how he experienced the goal. Olise: "I think Zaha passed me the ball. I shot. I scored."
His play has no weaknesses - his body did last season. In 82 Premier League matches, he scored 14 goals. But he also provided 22 assists. The left foot of Olise can shoot after the inside run, not only that, but also cross. In nearly every game situation, he keeps his head up. He is not afraid of risky passes, but also does not play for the gallery. Good dribbling completes Olise's diverse toolbox. Really glaring weaknesses seem to be absent from his play. His body showed them last season. In the previous season, he missed eight games due to a thigh injury. In the season before that, it was 13, also due to the thigh. Hopefully, FC Bayern's current medical department will also benefit him.
A player with his versatile skills is missing from the French squad - semifinals in, semifinals out - something, even with the absence of ex-Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku. In the European Championship squad, one cannot find Olise. So far, he has not even played a single A-team game for the French, only nine appearances in the U-teams are recorded. The decision for the French Football Association was possible due to his mother's lineage, as he could have played for Nigeria or Algeria instead, but for England, it was a no-go.
From EM Spectator to Olympic Champion?
However, even if he is free during the EM, he might soon celebrate his first title in international football. Thierry Henry, Arsenal legend and coach of the French Olympic football team, plans to bring him along for the tournament in Paris. France won gold once, in 1984. The last European champion was Spain in 1992. France wants to stand at the top at home again, originally Megastar Kylian Mbappé was also supposed to help, but Real Madrid did not release their latest attraction. The Bayern, however, give the green light for Olise.
This means that the new Munich coach, Vincent Kompany, will have to wait a long time for his top transfer – especially in case of success. The game for gold goes on stage in the French capital on August 10. Six days later, the Bayern take the first round of the DFB-Pokal. Olise will therefore have little time to train with the team before things get serious. Fortunately, communication problems should be minimal. With Kingsley Coman and Mathys Tel, he can speak French. And Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala are looking forward to the London dialect.
Despite being born and football-socialized in London, Michael Olise will join FC Bayern Munich, following in the footsteps of other French stars like Kingsley Coman and Mathys Tel in the Bundesliga. Despite his English background, Olise has been approached by Thierry Henry, Arsenal legend and coach of the French Olympic football team, for the upcoming Olympics in Paris. Interestingly, Olise has not represented France at a senior level, but his versatile skills and impressive performances in the English Premier League have earned him a spot in the team.
