Michael Olise is one of the most in-form footballers today. His great performances in the Champions League, the Bundesliga, and with the French national team have placed him in the spotlight of world football giants.

His current level is no surprise to Premier League fans, who already saw great promise from him before he arrived at Bayern Munich. What few people know is that back in July 2024, Chelsea was one step away from securing his services.

As Spanish journalist Pablo Espinosa has dug up from the archives, Chelsea considered signing the Frenchman. The transfer was almost closed, a deal worth more than £60 million, but in the end, the signing fell through. According to several English media outlets, the player's wage demands were well above what Enzo Maresca's team was willing to pay.

With little time left on his contract, Michael Olise's departure was imminent. Apart from Manchester United, no other 'Big Six' team considered signing the Frenchman, but the deplorable sporting situation at the Red Devils did not convince the then-Crystal Palace player, who was looking for a stable and established project to take a step forward in his professional career.

In the middle of this sea of doubt, Bayern Munich appeared and did not hesitate to take the opportunity to add Olise to its ranks. The transfer was closed at €60 million, the wage offer met the expectations and demands of the Reading academy product, and the sporting project was at least stable and ambitious.

The possibility of putting Michael Olise, Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala, and Florian Wirtz, who ended up landing at Liverpool the following summer, in the same starting lineup was very tempting.

Chelsea, for its part, will likely regret its decision. Instead of Olise, Pedro Neto arrived for the same price, who, in terms of quality, projection, skills, talent, and performance, is light-years away from the Frenchman. The wage bill that was not invested in the former Palace player was distributed across several contract renewals for locker-room heavyweights.

Back in the present, Michael Olise's performance since his arrival in Germany has been sensational. His first season in Munich was good: 20 goals and 20 assists in 55 matches for the right winger, just 23, who was also the Bundesliga's best player.

This season, for now, has been even better, not only because of those 16 goals and 25 assists in 41 games that bring him close to Leo Messi's record, but because of that feeling that he is unstoppable, even without taking matches seriously. A chess lover, as he has publicly expressed at times, he wins games while keeping a poker face.

To no one's surprise, the very high level of the Reading academy product has again placed him on the radar of world football giants. The crisis of daring wingers has made players like Michael Olise highly coveted. In a world full of robotic and predictable attackers like Cody Gakpo or Bukayo Saka, the creativity of names like Ryan Cherki, Florian Wirtz, or Olise himself has inflated his price.

Although Bayern Munich has closed the door to his departure several times, the former Crystal Palace player does not lack suitors. Liverpool needs him the most, especially with the departure of Mohamed Salah, but the poor image the team has given this season and its relationship with the Bavarian club weigh heavily.

Real Madrid would also be interested, a team that paid this summer the same amount Bayern paid for Olise for Franco Mastantuono and needs a top-level right winger. And finally, Chelsea, which needs a reboot more than a signing, could ask about him, although a change of scenery to London seems almost impossible.

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