1 May 2026 09:10 BST |
5 min read
Liverpool have suffered a blow in their reported pursuit of Michael Olise after being told there is “no need” for the winger to return to England, should he wish to leave Bayern Munich.
Olise has established himself as one of the best players in the world following his €60million move to Bayern from Crystal Palace in 2024, scoring 20 goals and registering 26 assists in all competitions this season.
Such has been Olise’s incredible form in Germany that the former Reading forward has been linked with a return to England in the summer, despite Bundesliga giants Bayern insisting he is not for sale.
Liverpool have been linked with a host of right-sided wingers as they look to secure a replacement for Mohamed Salah, who will leave the club at the end of the current campaign.
However, former Manchester United and France forward Louis Saha has predicted that Olise will shun a return to England in favour of a move to Spain, should he wish to leave Bayern in the future.
In an interview with GOAL, Saha said: “There is maybe a few clubs in England that can afford that [Olise’s reported €200m price tag].
“But I see him attracting interest in Spain as well. You know what I’m talking about, there is a big club there as well.
“When you have already had the opportunity to play in the biggest team in Germany and dominate the Bundesliga – what he is doing is unbelievable – I don’t think there is a need to come back straight away to the Premier League. He has already experienced that. I would think that maybe his trajectory is going to be a bit more south.”
Olise is being tipped to shine for France at this summer’s World Cup in Canada, Mexico and United States, following his remarkable goalscoring efforts for Bayern this season.
The 24-year-old scored a fantastic goal in Bayern’s narrow 5-4 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash on Tuesday – a game which has since been labelled as one of the greatest in recent memory.
Hailing Olise’s “crazy numbers” for Vincent Kompany’s side, Saha added: “He reminds me a bit of another French guy, Franck Ribery – in the way that he has had this season but unfortunately there are other players with different kinds of stats.
“He’s definitely one of those who, in his second full season with Bayern, is exploding those numbers. It’s unbelievable. Being someone who is very quiet but now is showing a bit of confidence, character, determination to get those numbers, it’s impressive.”
Analysis: Speculation continues to swirl as Olise sparkles for Bayern
Olise’s stunning goal against PSG was the latest wonderstrike in what has been an excellent season for the Bayern star.
While Liverpool continue to be linked with the France international, reports in Spain suggest Real Madrid are also among his list of admirers.
However, in a recent interview with German outlet ZDF, Bayern’s director of sport Max Eberl reiterated Olise will “absolutely” remain at Bayern this summer, saying: “For us, there is not a second of thinking about it. He is developing excellently.”
For the time being, Olise’s focus will be on helping Bayern get the better of defending champions PSG in the second leg of their mouth-watering Champions League semi-final tie at the Allianz Arena next Wednesday (6 May).
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Will Liverpool sign Olise? Bayern’s transfer plan revealed
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