Bayern Munich are about to finalize the signing of Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise, for a fee in the region of £50m. The player had numerous suitors including major clubs in the Premier League — Chelsea FC, Newcastle United, and Manchester United were the names mentioned — but eventually preferred a move to Bavaria.
Despite reports in the Chelsea-centric media landscape that the Blues pulled out due to financial considerations, it doesn’t seem that Michael Olise chose Bayern Munich for the money. The following report by Sam Dean of The Telegraph makes it clear:
Michael Olise chose to join Bayern Munich because of the pull of Champions League football and the prospect of working with Vincent Kompany. Manchester United and Chelsea also had strong interest in Olise but the 22-year-old’s mind was made up after early conversations with… pic.twitter.com/AIaettqnaC
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Michael Olise chose to join Bayern Munich because of the pull of Champions League football and the prospect of working with Vincent Kompany. Manchester United and Chelsea also had strong interest in Olise but the 22-year-old’s mind was made up after early conversations with Kompany and the club’s executives
Olise’s decision was not a financial one, with his rapport with Kompany and Bayern’s history of success proving to be key reasons for his imminent switch to the Bundesliga. The German club feel confident that they have demonstrated to Olise why Bayern will be the best place for his career.
Kompany is understood to have reached an understanding with Olise over his vision for the team and the playing style he wants to impose at Bayern.
You can read the original story here.
It seems that Vincent Kompany is already having an effect on the players Bayern Munich are looking to acquire in the transfer market. While he may not have the pull of someone like Thomas Tuchel (who was a driving force behind the Harry Kane transfer) he seems well-placed to convince incoming signings to buy into his project. Now, if he can manage that with the existing squad members, Bayern Munich might be in for a decent season.
Looking for some thoughts on Germany’s group stage performance, Bayern Munich’s wild start to the transfer season, and why the New World Order in the front office might not have a long-term plan at this stage? Good, then we have you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show! You can get the podcast on Spotify or below: