Michael Olise is currently starring for Bayern Munich as one of the best wingers in the world, but there was a time when AC Milan wanted him.
Olise has now racked up 96 appearances for Bayern across all competitions, with a remarkable 36 goals and 52 assists to his name. His rise to the top has been an inspiring journey, one that has taken him from Reading to Crystal Palace to Europe’s lite.
Maldini’s intuition
As SportMediaset report, Olise was in the sights of the Milan management when Paolo Maldini was technical director. In 2021, Maldini considered the then-19-year-old – who was at Reading in the Championship – as a signing for the future.
The plan was to secure him ahead of time and then perhaps even loan him to Serie B to test his talent before promoting him to the first team. The fee would have been around €9m, the sum that Crystal Palace then paid to allow him to make the leap to the Premier League.
A few years later, Olise moved to Bayern Munich for €53m and today – according to Transfermarkt – he is worth €140m. Naturally there will be some regret regarding a player that has scored 11 goals and provided 20 assists in the Bundesliga this season alone.
High praise
Speaking on CBS Sports, Thierry Henry broke down the specific traits that make Olise such a difficult winger to play against, just as he was back in his Arsenal and Barcelona days as well.
“Michael is not like other players. He might be shy when you hand him a microphone, but he has a specific mindset, a certain vision of life and a vision of the game to match,” he said.
“”When he gets the ball, he sees things that few others can. He perceives the game differently, he sees it more with his brain than his eyes. He tries to imagine what might happen as soon as the ball leaves the goalkeeper. You have to anticipate what’s coming next.
“We all know he can dribble. Нe has his own way of looking at the game and life. That’s why sometimes, off the pitch, people don’t understand him. But he’s a pleasant guy, a great guy. He doesn’t say much off the field, but when he has the ball, he speaks very well through his play.”
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You’re going to have to work harder than this for my £1 a month 😂.
Shall we rake over every player who’s worth more than £100 and list all the clubs that didn’t sign them at 19?
And given the most pertinent talking points of the last week or so, let’s not brag that we’d have loaned him to Serie B. If we had have done he’d probably still be there now 🤣
We have Nkunku 😁
all the more reason to bring maldini back to the club
For a guy he thought about signing but didn’t?
Because the squad increased 200m in value during his time. Going from a decade of banter to competing for the league in 3 years.
as always.. they runaway after get stoned by fact
It’s easy to say we should have bet on a horse when we see said horse winning. At 19, there were probably many players that seems promising like Olise, but how many are at his level now ?
Also, talent aside, Olise is Olise now thanks of Crystal Palace, then thanks to Bayern Munich trusting him.
Had he gone to Italy, there was no guarantee he would have flourished the way he did now, especially if he was gonna playe in serie B.
The Como fan on this website is a bit of a broken record, but he’s right about Italy being dog sh!t at promoting and developping young talents.
foolani wanted to sign Mbape & Haaland when they still 19 months old
At Maldini time in milan, theres lot of rule. Restrictions with transfer budget + salary cap + big debt. Its difference with now situations…
yup! but then they didn’t listen to him, they fired Maldini, and them bums went on and got us an american dude who was on warming the bench of chelsea week in and week out! a dude who no big team ever went after his average overrated ass, except of course the bum americans who just happen to own our Milan club!!!! they were like ”he is american?” yeah go get him lol
and Kvara, Julian Alvarez, Enzo, Retegui even Messi as free transfer & CR w/ massive salary cut, why? bcs he’s Maldini, all players listen to him even Rino, Z or Cassano
last thing they listen is Pulisic & it’s bcs he’s US + ex-Chelsea
I dont remember when the last time there is any attacking promising young player that finally be a star when play for milan… oliseh?, 140 M in milan?, nope, i dont think so…. He would be just an average player….
Well to be honest, even Origi would score and get assists if he played for the current Bayern team.
remember Chupo-Moting? he’s worse than Origi & he’s scoring there
Pioli would’ve set him on the bench either way