Who is Michael Olise?

Stats correct as of 3 October 2024

Michael Olise

Age: 22 (born 12 December 2001)
Club: Bayern Munich
Position: Winger/ attacking midfielder
Country: France (two caps)

Key stats 

Born in Hammersmith, London, to a French-Algerian mother and a Nigerian father, Olise lit up some of the best academies in the game from a frighteningly young age. Spells at Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City preceded a move to Reading, where his fledgling career would eventually take flight. 

Debuting in England's second tier in March 2019 as an 18-year-old, Olise was soaring just two years later when weighing in with a solid 19 goals involvements in 44 league appearances. Those figures saw the versatile attacker win the division's Young Player of the Season award and had Premier League side Crystal Palace calling. 

A deal was reached between the clubs, and Olise made the switch to the Eagles in July 2021. A Premier League debut against Tottenham Hotspur followed, as did a first Premier League goal the following October which saw the young talent become Palace's youngest-ever Premier League goalscorer. The following season brought another milestone in the form of Olise making himself his team's youngest player ever to reach 10 assists in a Premier League campaign (he would finish 2022/23 with 11).

The attacker's rise continued apace in 2023/24 and he finished that season playing under former Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt coach Oliver Glasner, under whose guise Olise hit 10 goals and provided six assists in England's top tier, despite spending significant time on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. Since his move to Bayern, he has been a revelation, scoring his first goal for the club against Holstein Kiel on Matchday 3 of the 2024/25 campaign before racking up five goals and three assists across his first eight games in all competitions.

His early-season performances even earned him a maiden call-up to Didier Deschamps' France squad, with him making his senior debut in the 3-1 UEFA Nations League defeat to Italy - that came after he won a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in the summer.

Plays a bit like: Arjen Robben

As a left-footed fight winger, Olise will naturally draw comparisons with Bayern great Arjen Robben as his career in Bavaria progresses.

Robben - playing opposite Franck Ribéry - formed the formidable Robbery wing pairing between 2009 and 2019, winning a pethora of titles along the way.

Watch: The rise of Michael Olise

Bayern's new man loves to race inside and shoot from different angles, and he is beginning to become as prolific as those club legends if his 16 direct goal-involvements in 19 Premier League games last season is anything to go by.

Did you know?

With a chance to represent England, Nigeria, Algeria and France at international level, Olise chose to play for the latter at U21 level and racked up playing time for Les Bleuets at the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

His arrival in Munich also sees him reunited with Jamal Musiala after the pair previously played together in Chelsea's academy.

What they're saying 

"The talks with Bayern were very positive, and I’m very happy to now be playing for such a big club. It's a great challenge, and that's exactly what I was looking for. I want to prove myself at this level and play my part in ensuring that we win as many titles as possible with our team in the coming years." - Olise on making the move to Bavaria

"I said, 'maybe try the near post and maybe then the goalkeepers are surprised,' and in this situation he shot near post and scored." - Crystal Palace coach Oliver Glasner takes some credit after Olise netted a brilliant brace in in a 4-0 win against Manchester United at the end of 2023/24. 

Watch: Bayern announce Olise's signing

"(If) he's allowed to express himself, he's going to be a superstar. He's that good. I remember watching him at the Etihad a couple of seasons ago. It's not just his dribbling, it's his decision-making: when to lay off the ball and his first touch is sublime. Yeah, he's going to the very top." - Micah Richards, former Manchester City player