Another Frenchman could lift the Ballon d'Or by following the Ousmane Dembele blueprint. Indeed, according to Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthaus, Michael Olise has the potential to become the first Ballon d'Or winner from Die Roten after 45 years. The 23-year-old has been exceptional since arriving from Crystal Palace in 2024 and is reportedly set to be offered a new deal.
Olise, Bayern's new hero in town
Bayern legend Mathhaus has no qualms that Olise can emulate Dembele by winning the Ballon d'Or next year. Since arriving from Palace in a move worth £52 million (€60m/$70m), Olise has been among the best attackers in the world. He was nominated in the top 30 for the 2025 Ballon d'Or, where he deserved to finish much higher than 30th position.
His numbers for the Bavarian giants have been staggering. Including the Club World Cup, the Frenchman has seven goals and five assists in twelve competitive matches. Overall, he has already been involved in 50 goals in 62 matches for Bayern (24 goals, 26 assists).
AdvertisementAFPMatthaus wants Olise to take a leaf out of Dembele's book
Matthaus spoke highly of Olise in an interview with . "He has everything an outstanding footballer needs. I see no limits for him. And the example of Ousmane Dembele shows that a winger can become a world-class footballer," said the 64-year-old. "It always depends on the success of the team, especially in the Champions League – but yes, I believe Olise can [win the Ballon d'Or]."
Premier League waiting for Olise's return?
At the end of August, speculation arose about Olise's long-term future. The 23-year-old is said to have an exit clause in his contract that could allow him to return to the Premier League as early as next summer, preferably to Liverpool as Mohamed Salah's successor. Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have been linked, too.
Getty Images SportBayern set to reward Olise with new deal
That is why Die Roten are keen to secure an early contract extension with Olise in the near future. He is currently under contract with the club until 2029. According to information from , there is already internal discussion at Munich about keeping Olise beyond that date. It is even conceivable that talks about this could begin during the course of this season. However, no contact has yet been made with Olise and his agent.
