Bayern Munich star Michael Olise had a clear reason for rejecting Arsenal as a youngster. The winger has become an instant hit in Germany but was faced with a tough choice between the Gunners and Chelsea at the start of his career.
The 22-year-old winger first turned heads during his time at Reading, leading to snapping him up for £8.37million in 2021 after triggering his release clause. At Selhurst Park, Olise was given the chance to shine and prompted interest from last year, having previously spent seven years in the Blues' academy.
was not swayed by his old connection to Chelsea, though, and signed a new deal with Palace before joining almost 12 months later. However, could have had the same emotional ties to the winger if his career had panned out slightly differently.
Former Chelsea coach Sean Conlon had spotted seven-year-old Olise playing for Hayes and recommended him to the west London club. While he played for Chelsea from a young age, Olise also represented the Gunners before having to make a decision on which club to stick with .
In a 2022 interview with Conlon remembered a young Olise playing for Hayes: "Michael was also training with Arsenal at the time because before you move into the under-nines, you're allowed to train with multiple teams," he said. "But he probably lived closer to Chelsea and they obviously have a great academy so he ended up signing for them."
Olise and Chelsea reached a "mutual decision" to part ways during his teenage years, according to Conlon, leading the forward to briefly join Manchester City, before spending six months without a club before Reading came calling. Recounting Olise's experience, Conlon believes that adversity was instrumental in shaping him into the top-class player who is now excelling in the Bundesliga.
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"Sometimes people don't think about it being hard for players who are supremely talented because that can also come with its own difficulties," Conlon explained. "It's not been a perfect journey for Michael but I think that has benefited him. Coming out of Chelsea at that age has given him that resilience and desire to succeed."
Now making waves at Bayern, the club's £50million signing has already scored six times and provided three assists across just nine appearances. Olise appeared to have truly found his shooting boots in his final year at Palace, scoring 10 goals in 19 games, but Conlon won't have been taken aback by his coolness in front of goal.
"He's always been someone who scores goals because his control is so good and he is thinking so many steps ahead of everyone else," Conlon added. "Michael also has so much variety in his technique that allows him to see the picture and means he is able to make the decision on what is the most appropriate finish."
