Bayern Munich of Germany midfielder, Michael Akpovie Olise has been tipped to emerge as Ballon d’Or winner in years to come, considering the meteoric rise he has enjoyed since moving from Crystal Palace of England in 2024.
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Sports247 reports that Olise, who was born in Hammersmith, Greater London, England, to a British-Nigerian father and Franco-Algerian mother, has grown through the stages since stepping into the spotlight at Arsenal in 2009.
He later had a feel of developmental football at Chelsea (2009-2016), Manchester City (2016-2017) and Reading (2017-2019), from where he got a massive leap on July 8th, 2021, when he signed a five-year deal with Crystal Palace.
Olise went on to excel massively after The Eagles activated his £8.37m release clause from Reading and the dazzler, who was eligible to represent Algeria, England and Nigeria, eventually committed his international career to France.
On July 7th, 2024, Bayern Munich signed Olise from Crystal Palace on a five-year contract valid until June 30th, 2029 in a transfer fee of €60m including add-ons, but the 24-year-old sensation is now being touted with a return to England.
While speculation rises over a likely re-emergence of Olise in the English Premier League at the start of next season, he has all of a sudden sensationally been cited as a likely winner of the Ballon d’Or award in the next handful of years.
This verdict was delivered by Olise’s teammate at Bayern and France, Dayot Upamecano, who remarked that his colleague is bound to become a legend of the game because he is ‘incredibly hungry’ for success on the pitch.
His declaration comes after Olise, who has 16 goals and 28 assists in 40 games for Bayern this season, was again outstanding for The Bavarians in a 2-1 win away to Real Madrid of Spain on Tuesday, in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final.
Upamecano told Canal+: “He can make the difference at any time. He’s an incredible player. He’s incredibly hungry. Off the pitch, he’s a hard worker. If he continues like this, he could become a legend. The Ballon d’Or? In the future, yes.”
Olise’s coach during his days at Palace, Oliver Glasner added: “It was a great game to watch and he was outstanding. I think his entire season is really incredible. But I’m not surprised and I think he’s still not at his ceiling. He can still do better.”
