Michael Olise has chosen to join Bayern Munich from Crystal Palace.
The two clubs are in negotiations over the player’s release clause and the France U21 international is due to link up with new Bayern coach Vincent Kompany as part of an exciting new-look attack with England captain Harry Kane.
The 22-year old winger also had strong interest from Newcastle United and Chelsea though the latter made it known on Friday that they were no longer in the race for Olise’s signature.
Palace had been willing to offer Olise a new deal to stay but the lure of Champions League football proved too much to contend with.
Manchester United have admired him but have not been in the financial position to pursue the star.
Michael Olise has agreed to join Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich from Crystal Palace
The news comes as a blow to Manchester United and other clubs, who had been interested – though the Red Devils were not in the financial position to pursue him
Bayern want to return as the dominant force in German football after being toppled by Xavi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen last season.
Olise joined Palace from Reading in 2021, stepping up from the Championship to the Premier League.
In his three years at Palace he has become a fan favourite and one of their star attacking talents alongside England’s Eberechi Eze.
The winger scored 10 goals last season, the best haul of his career, and recorded six assists.
He signed a new contract last August on a bumper £100,000 per week.
However, with the youngster the subject of ferocious interest from top Premier League sides and European giants, it was always going to be difficult to hang on to him.
Should Olise join Bayern, it will be a coup for Vincent Kompany, who agreed to succeed Thomas Tuchel at the Allianz Arena last month.
It is a setback, though not unexpected, for the fledgling Oliver Glasner administration in south London.
Olise is coming off the most productive year of his career, scoring 10 goals and assisting six
If he joins, he will be part of a new-look attack alongside England captain Harry Kane
It would be a blow to Oliver Glasner, who has rejuvenated Palace since joining in February
Palace proved they could adapt last summer when they lost long-time favourite Wilfried Zaha
Kompany signed a three-year contract, with Burnley receiving around £10million in compensation for the Belgian, who could not keep them in the Premier League.
The Austrian guided Palace to a 10th-placed finish in the Premier League after joining in February.
Glasner, who won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022, has transformed the playing style and verve around the club.
Young Adam Wharton, at his first tournament with England at Euro 2024, has particularly benefited from his tutelage since joining from Blackburn in January.
Moving on from an iconic star is something Palace have recent experience of, having bade farewell to Wilfried Zaha last summer as he signed up with Galatasaray in Turkey.
That ended Zaha’s nine-year-long second stint with the club but after a hot and cold first part of the season under Roy Hodgson, they have gone from strength to strength since.
