Bayern shuts down Olise departure rumours and targets contract extension

Bayern Munich has firmly dismissed rumours of Michael Olise’s departure, with sporting director Max Eberl insisting on Wednesday that he has never received any transfer request from the French international, nor recorded any contact with Real Madrid.

Days after chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen had already denied any exchanges with the Madrid club, Eberl doubled down in an interview with Bild. To illustrate the serenity between him and the former Crystal Palace winger, he recounted a revealing anecdote: “Michael sent me a WhatsApp message during the World Cup. I hesitated before opening it because I wondered if he was going to talk to me about this subject. But it was a photo of him with Manu Koné, whom I had brought to Gladbach back then, with a heart underneath. They were just waving at me from the United States.”

Eberl clarified that his only other exchange with Olise concerned a choice of shirt number: “After that, I asked Michael if he wanted to wear number 11 next season. But he wanted to keep his number 17. That’s the only contact I had with Michael and everything went well.”

While the matter appears settled in the short term, the Bayern board is nonetheless anticipating discussions about the player’s future. Tied to the club until 2029 with no release clause in his contract, Olise is expected to sit down with management by next summer. “There will come a time when we sit down to discuss what comes next,” Eberl said. “He still has three years left on his contract. By next summer, we should know whether he is inclined to extend his contract or not.”

Arriving at Bayern in summer 2024 from Crystal Palace, Olise quickly established himself as an undisputed starter in the Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League. The absence of a release clause is a strong argument for Munich, which intends to keep one of its most significant signings in recent years.