Bayern Munich’s new signing Michael Olise explains why he chose to move to the German club rather than Man United and Chelsea

• Bayern Munich have confirmed the signing of Michael Olise from Crystal Palace
• The 22-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the Bundesliga giant
• LISTEN: Join us as we discuss the MOST important talking points on It’s All Kicking Off! DAILY EUROS. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

Michael Olise has given his fans some insight into why he decided to sign for Bayern Munich despite several Premier League clubs being interested in him.

On Sunday, Bayern confirmed the signing of Olise from Crystal Palace for £52 million on a five-year deal.

The official announcement marks the end of a lengthy transfer saga that has been ongoing since it began in June.

Chelsea and Man United were also in the running, but Olise suggested the prospect of immediately challenging for major trophies was the deciding factor.

He said: “The talks with FC Bayern were very positive and I am very happy to now be playing for such a big club.”

“It’s a great challenge and that’s exactly what I was looking for. I want to prove myself at this level and do my part to ensure that our team wins as many titles as possible in the coming years.”

Olise will play a central role in the plans of new head coach Vincent Kompany, who is looking to transform a team that finished second behind Bayer Leverkusen last season, ending a run of 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles.

Bayern’s sporting director Christoph Freund highlighted the most important qualities that led the club to choose Olise.

“Michael is fast, tricky, dangerous in front of goal and very versatile in attack,” said Freund.

“His goal and assist statistics are already outstanding. At 22, Michael is already very advanced, but he is also hungry and still has a lot of potential.”

“Fans come to the stadium to see players like Michael Olise.”

After starting his career in Arsenal’s youth team, Olise spent time in Chelsea and Manchester City’s youth academies before moving to Reading in 2017.

Olise made his first-team debut for the Royals two years later and developed into a key player for the club, narrowly missing out on the playoffs in the 2020–21 season.

A move to Selhurst Park followed after then Palace boss Patrick Vieira activated his £8.37 million release clause.

In his second season at the club, Olise was named Player of the Year by both the fans and players and became the youngest player in Premier League history to record three open-play assists in a single game.

Olise’s form continued to improve last season and he scored double figures in league goals for the first time in his career, as well as providing a further six assists in just 14 appearances, although two thigh injuries limited his participation.