Real Madrid plotting €220m Olise move that would rival Neymar's world-record fee

Real Madrid are preparing a bid worth up to €220 million for Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise, according to reports in Spain, a figure that would come within touching distance of Neymar’s world-record €222 million move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.

Spanish outlet Fichajes reports that Madrid intend to table a proposal of €190 million plus a further €30 million in add-ons for the 24-year-old France international, as the club looks to make Olise the marquee signing of José Mourinho’s second spell in charge at the Bernabéu.

The move would represent a significant escalation in Madrid’s pursuit of Olise, who has been on the club’s radar throughout the summer. Bayern president Herbert Hainer had previously insisted that any approach from Madrid would be futile, telling Florentino Pérez he could “save himself the effort” if an offer was being considered — this after Hainer claimed the only communication he had received from the Spanish club was a denial of any contact with the player’s camp.

Madrid have already been active in the transfer market this summer, securing the arrivals of Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konaté and Denzel Dumfries since Pérez’s re-election as club president for a 23rd combined year in charge.

Olise, however, was reportedly central to Pérez’s vision for the club going forward. The former Crystal Palace winger has just completed the finest season of his career at Bayern, registering 25 goals and 28 assists across 57 appearances to help the Bavarians claim the Bundesliga title.

The France international is also still involved at the World Cup, with Les Bleus having reached the quarter-finals where they face Morocco.

Whether Bayern can be persuaded to sell a player of Olise’s form and age — even for a fee approaching the sport’s all-time record — remains the central question. Hainer’s public stance suggests the German club have no intention of letting him go, but Madrid’s reported willingness to push the financial boundaries to historic levels signals that this saga is far from over.