Olise poses in Chelsea kit, seven years after leaving the club without being retained

Michael Olise chose to pose in a Chelsea kit during a photoshoot organized by the French Football Federation (FFF), in which each France player wore the colors of his academy club. The nod did not fail to provoke a reaction from Blues supporters, who had let the Bayern Munich winger leave without retaining him.

The French international indeed spent seven years at Chelsea’s academy before leaving the club. He then joined Manchester City for a year, before moving to Reading’s U18s, the club with which he eventually integrated into the professional team. A path that reminds us that Chelsea let slip one of the most prominent players in world football today.

On social media, the photo first sparked nostalgia among London fans. “Michael Olise representing Chelsea. One of ours,” wrote one of them. But the post also fueled another question: why didn’t Olise opt for an Arsenal kit, a club where he also played in the youth ranks, and which was available on the table during the photoshoot?

The question takes on added weight in light of behind-the-scenes footage released by the FFF. It shows Olise wearing a simple polo in the colors of the French team — not a Chelsea kit. The final photo, meanwhile, shows the player in a polo emblazoned with the Blues logo, suggesting the image was retouched afterward.

Neither the FFF nor Michael Olise provided an official explanation for this detail. The player, who is about to compete in the 2026 World Cup with the Blues, has not publicly commented on the choice — real or edited — that reignited, for the duration of a photo, the debate over one of Chelsea’s greatest recruitment mistakes in recent history.