June 22nd 2024.
In the final hours of the transfer window, there was a frenzy of activity from both Manchester United and Manchester City. The two clubs were vying for the signature of Crystal Palace's emerging star, Michael Olise. However, both teams were ultimately unsuccessful in their attempts to bring the young talent to their respective clubs, as Olise ultimately chose to join Bayern Munich.
The news broke on Friday night that Bayern Munich was on the verge of securing a deal for the 22-year-old Frenchman. Despite intense interest from Chelsea, Olise made the decision to move to the Bundesliga, a move that was undoubtedly influenced by Bayern's status as one of Europe's top clubs.
It was reported that Chelsea had been given permission by Palace to speak to Olise, but ultimately decided they could not meet his wage demands. This left the door open for Bayern, who are expected to wrap up the deal in the coming days by meeting Olise's £55million release clause.
Both Manchester United and Manchester City have been long-time admirers of Olise, with the former even considering him as a top transfer target under their new ownership. City manager Pep Guardiola is also a huge fan of the talented midfielder. According to reports, both clubs made "extraordinary offers" to sign Olise at the last minute, with both deals including arrangements that would have allowed Palace to keep him for another season before selling him.
Manchester United had previously struck a similar deal with Palace back in 2013, when they signed Wilfried Zaha and allowed him to remain at Selhurst Park for another six months. However, despite their efforts, Olise ultimately chose Bayern due to his desire to play in the Champions League next season.
While other clubs, such as Chelsea and Newcastle United, were also interested in Olise, they were unable to offer him the opportunity to play in Europe's premier competition. Liverpool, who have also been admirers of the young Frenchman, did not enter the race to sign him.
Despite Bayern's disappointing domestic campaign last season, which saw them lose their 11-year reign as German champions to Bayer Leverkusen, Olise was still drawn to the club's prestigious history and their recent appointment of Vincent Kompany as their new head coach. The club is currently undergoing a major recruitment drive, with Olise and Dutch star Xavi Simons among their top targets.
In addition to Olise, Bayern is also in talks to sign Joao Paulinha from Fulham. With these exciting transfer developments, fans of the Bavarian giants have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming season. Meanwhile, Chelsea fans can only wonder what could have been if they were able to secure Olise's signature.
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