Michael Olise’s rise to near-superstardom has been nothing short of magical. The French attacker, who played for Crystal Palace until the 2023-24 Premier League, was in high demand during the Summer transfer window that year and was quickly snapped up by Bayern Munich.
On the German side, he continued his ascent to the top with minimal fuss and made the club’s supporters proud of his actions on the pitch.
Michael Olise’s Early Days
The 23-year-old was a Youth player with Reading FC in England, and even made his senior debut for them before Crystal Palace snapped him up ahead of the 2021-22 season. Although he didn’t net a single ball in his first two stints in top-flight football, Olise showed his class with seven goals and 12 created chances for Reading in the EFL Championship that term.
Palace came calling the following year, and the winger made the next move in his career. The results were underwhelming in the first campaign, as he scored just two strikes in the Premier League and two in the FA Cup. He did, however, bag eight setups across all competitions.
It is quite possibly the worst kept secret in the footballing sphere – Michael Olise will be the Mohammed Salah replacement.
Isak-Ekitike-Olise will be the most unstoppable front 3, with Florian Wirtz right behind them.
— CounterPressers (@CounterPressers) October 9, 2025
Operating on the flanks, Michael Olise stunned opposition defenders with his raw pace, guile, and speed while overtaking them. This brought him to the notice of other clubs.
In 2022-23, Olise’s returns in front of goal didn’t improve (2 successes), but he impressed with 11 assists in all competitions for the Eagles. Things turned around dramatically for the youngster in 2023-24. Although he could turn out in only 19 Premier League games, due to injury concerns, he netted 10 balls and set up his teammates six times.
The Move To Bayern Munich
He moved to Bayern the following Summer and awed his new fans with 17 finishes and 18 assists across all competitions in his maiden campaign at the Allianz Arena.
The ongoing 2025-26 term has not been bad for the 23-year-old so far. The winger has already found the back of the net on eight occasions and created chances for his teammates on half a dozen. His xG statistic in the league in this stretch is 2.58, which is a direct result of him having taken 22 shots in total, of which 12 were on target.
Most recently, he was also nominated for the 2025 Ballon d’Or. Although Ousmane Dembele walked away with the trophy, it would have been an honour for Olise to be named a possibility.
Michael Olise is one of a kind 😄#UCL pic.twitter.com/2lbzmQiZNl
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 2, 2025
From a young lad who started with Reading, to even be in a list of nominees featuring some of the biggest names like Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Erling Haaland, is a great feat. The young Frenchman can be extremely proud of his achievements.
This is just the start of the road for the star, and he has a long way to go. While he’s impressed operating on the right-hand side of Bayern’s attack, Olise can add more teeth to his capabilities by interchanging his position and going towards the left.
If he becomes more fluid in his approach as a winger, he could become even more threatening and help his club fulfil their ambitions. He’s already won a Bundesliga title with them, but the UEFA Champions League remains untouched, and he will aim to lift that.
Can Michael Olise Get Better?
Another way in which Michael Olise can surprise rival defenders is by occasionally operating as the central attacking midfielder. Vincent Kompany could play him as a false ‘number nine’ to give Kane some rest. However, for him to execute this role properly, he’d have to become extremely strong to ward off markers single-handedly, the way Kane does.
Also, his awareness and his level of comfort playing with his back towards the goal must improve to be a sharpshooter inside the box.
Olise is undoubtedly one of the biggest young stars in European football and is only going to get better as the years go on. The attacker is hardworking, humble, and possesses a skillset that holds him in 1v1 situations against the best defenders in the world.
This is a crazy goal by Michael Olise. It won’t go viral cos it’s not Lamine Amala pic.twitter.com/umc1UyLDG8
— KALYJAY (@gyaigyimii) September 30, 2025
He’s not yet a finished product, but if he keeps working hard at his game, we may very well see him become an even more threatening player in the next few campaigns.
It was Bayern legend Lothar Matthäus who put his faith in Olise, saying that he could soon win the Ballon d’Or. “He has everything an outstanding footballer needs. I see no limits for him. And the example of Ousmane Dembele shows that a winger can become a world-class footballer.
It depends on the success of the team, especially in the Champions League, but yes, I believe Olise can [win the award],” said Matthaus.
So here’s wishing the young Frenchman the best of luck!
