Manchester City did table an “extraordinary late” bid for Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise, according to The Mirror.
The English tabloid claims both the Cityzens and rivals Manchester United made last-ditch attempts to secure the Frenchman’s signature.
However, the two Manchester teams wanted to delay the deal until next summer, with Olise remaining at Selhurst Park for another season.
It is believed that Financial Fair Play concerns stopped the Premier League champions from being able to sign the winger during the current transfer window.
Guardiola wanted to bring Olise to the Etihad
The Mirror report that City boss Pep Guardiola has “massive admiration” for the player and he was keen on bringing him to Manchester. Ultimately, though, Bayern Munich won the race for the player.
Up until Friday morning, Chelsea were regarded as frontrunners for Olise but the 22-year-old is said to have snubbed a switch to Stamford Bridge as he wanted to play in the Champions League next campaign.
Olise is now set to complete a move to Bayern, with the Bundesliga giants paying his £60m release clause.
Where does this leave City?
Pep Guardiola’s side weren’t expected to make any high-profile signings this summer, but the late approach for Olise came as a surprise to many.
Recruiting another winger cannot be completely ruled out. Over the last few weeks, City have been linked with the likes of Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz. Not all of those are wide players in the traditional sense of the word, but they can be deployed in similar positions.
Of course, all three would be more expensive than Olise and, considering the club are being mindful of FFP, it would suggest any sizeable bid this summer is unlikely.
