- Bayern Munich have confirmed the signing of Michael Olise from Crystal Palace
- The 22-year-old has joined the Bundesliga giants on a five-year contract
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Michael Olise has given fans some insight into why he decided to sign for Bayern Munich when multiple Premier League clubs were interested in him.
Bayern confirmed the £52million signing of Olise from Crystal Palace on a five-year deal on Sunday.
The official announcement marks the end of a protracted transfer saga that has been ongoing since it began in June.
Chelsea and Man United were also in the running but Olise implied that the prospect of challenging for major titles straight away was the deciding factor.
He said: ‘The talks with FC Bayern were very positive, and I’m very happy to now be playing for such a big club.
‘It’s a great challenge, and that’s exactly what I was looking for. I want to prove myself at this level and play my part in ensuring that we win as many titles as possible with our team in the coming years.’
Olise will serve as an integral part of new boss Vincent Kompany‘s plans as he looks to overhaul the side that finished second behind Bayer Leverkusen last season, ending a run of 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles.
Bayern’s sporting director Christoph Freund highlighted the key attributes that led them to pursuing a move for Olise.
‘Michael is quick, tricky, a goal threat and very versatile in attack.’ Freund said.
‘His goals and assists stats are already outstanding. At the age of 22, Michael is already very advanced, but is also hungry and still has a lot of potential.
‘Fans come to the stadium to see players like Michael Olise.’
After beginning his career in Arsenal’s youth setup, Olise would spend time in Chelsea and Manchester City’s youth academies before joining Reading in 2017.
Olise would make his senior debut for the Royals two years later, and went on to be a key player for the club as they narrowly missed out on the playoffs in the 2020-21 campaign.
A move to Selhurst Park followed after then-Palace boss Patrick Vieira activated his £8.37million release clause.
In his second season at the club, Olise was named both the fans’ and players’ player of the year whilst also becoming the youngest player in Premier League history to register three assists from open play during a single game.
Olise’s form continued to improve last season as he reached double figures for league goals for the first time in his career whilst notching a further six assists from just 14 starts, despite two seperate hamstring injuries curtailing his involvement.