FC Bayern have signed forward Michael Olise from English Premier League side Crystal Palace on a five-year contract till 2029. Find out more about our new 22-year-old London-born French youth international as we say servus and welcome to Munich…
Olise mostly plays on the right wing and recorded 10 goals and six assists from 19 Premier League appearances last season as Palace managed a top-half finish in England’s top flight for the first time in nine years.
Style of play
The way Olise plays is all about driving at goal and enjoying himself. He caught the eye in England with his spectacular and often unexpected moves, especially on his brilliant left foot as an inverted winger from the right. He’d produce moments of magic, but crucially also finishing and the final ball to teammates, which will no doubt delight many Bayern fans going forward.
Youth: Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City, Reading
The 1.84-metre-tall winger started playing at Arsenal before a cross-London move to Chelsea at the age of seven. After seven years on the books there, he joined Manchester City’s academy but would quickly move on to Reading after just one year.
There he made the step up from U18s to U21s and finally the first team, making his senior debut as a 17-year-old in a Championship game against Leeds United on 12 March 2019. Olise’s real breakthrough came in the 2020/21 campaign when he chipped in with seven goals and 12 assists.
Premier League breakthrough
His displays in England’s second division saw a number of bigger clubs lining up to sign the promising youngster. It was another London club in Crystal Palace that got there first in summer 2021, kickstarting a rapid rise. The winger had a direct hand in 12 goals in 31 games in his maiden campaign at Selhurst Park, before recording 13 in 40 the following year. Injuries restricted Olise to only 19 outings in 2023/24, but he still managed to make a sizeable impact with 10 goals and six assists.
International options
Olise’s mother has French-Algerian heritage, while his father is Nigerian. As well as those three nations, he could also represent England as his place of birth. However, the left-footer has played for France since U18 level and has seven U21 caps.
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