He dazzled the Santiago Bernabéu. He outshone Vinícius Júnior. He made Kylian Mbappé look like a spectator. And now, Michael Olise has done something far more dangerous than nutmeg a defender — he has caught the eye of Florentino Pérez himself.
The 24-year-old French winger was amazing in Bayern Munich’s Champions League quarter-final first-leg win over Real Madrid on April 7. He set up the goal that broke the hosts’ defence and made the Spanish defence look silly with every touch. When the final whistle blew, not only were the people in the Bernabéu out of breath, but the man in the director’s box was also out of breath as he planned his next galáctico signing. The 24-year-old French winger put on a masterclass during Bayern Munich’s Champions League quarter-final first-leg win over Real Madrid on April 7, threading the assist that cut the hosts open and twisting the Spanish defence into knots with every touch. By the time the final whistle blew, it wasn’t just the Bernabéu crowd left breathless—it was the man sitting in the director’s box plotting his next galáctico signing.
Pérez Takes Action
Sport Bild and Bundesliga insider Christian Falk say that Real Madrid is getting ready to make an offer of between €160 and €165 million for Olise this summer. This would make him one of the most expensive transfers in football history. Pérez, who is always looking for a deal that will get people talking, is said to have made the Franco-British winger his top priority for the summer window. He dreams of having Olise, Mbappé, and Vinícius all on the same team. Ekrem Konur, a transfer expert, also said that Real was interested. Marca called the reports a “wild rumour,” but they have still shaken up German football.
Some reports have gone even further. Fichajes said Real might be willing to pay as much as €180 million, which is well above Olise’s current estimated market value of €130 million.
Bayern’s Unchanging Position
But there is one big problem: Bayern Munich has no plans to sell.
Sporting director Max Eberl has made the club’s position very clear by saying that Olise “is not for sale” and that “even if there is an offer of €100m–200m on the table, Bayern won’t even talk about it.” Eberl went on to say that the club sees Olise as the future of Bayern Munich and is already working on a new contract extension. This is in addition to the current deal, which runs until June 2029 and has no release clause.
In the summer of 2024, Olise moved from Crystal Palace to Bayern for a reported €53 million. He signed a five-year deal that pays him an estimated €13.5 million a year in base salary. If the Bavarians sold him for any price less than two years later, it would be a huge inconsistency on their part.
A Long Line
Real Madrid isn’t the only team interested in the Allianz Arena. Liverpool and Manchester City are also said to be very interested in the winger, which puts even more pressure on Bayern’s resolve. But because there is no release clause and the board is firmly behind Eberl’s hardline stance, it will be very hard for any club to get Olise this summer.
For Florentino Pérez, a man who built his reputation on signing the best players in the world when everyone else said it couldn’t be done, that might make Olise even more appealing.
