Michael Olise reintroduced himself to the global audience against Real Madrid on Tuesday at the Bernabéu.
The former Crystal Palace winger could have played for Chelsea, carrying their attack alongside other top stars like Cole Palmer and João Pedro, but Chelsea and BlueCo decided the Frenchman was not worth the £55 million fee and £200k weekly salary risk.
Olise is not a new name in the world of football, but he showed the level he has been on this season on Tuesday.
His rise to global dominance at Bayern Munich is different from how BlueCo’s strategy at Chelsea would have relegated him to playing with average players compared to what he currently has in Germany.
Chelsea opted against signing Michael Olise in 2024 mainly because he was asking for a weekly wage over Chelsea’s £150,000 salary cap.
The Blues have since spent over 200million on wingers, signing players like Pedro Neto, Estêvão, and a series of other wingers to elevate their options on the flanks.
Although Neto has been a decent signing for Chelsea, and Estêvão is also a fine investment for the future, Chelsea’s decision not to sign Olise means they are currently missing out on a world-class player producing world-class numbers and performances in the Champions League and domestically.
Instead of a prime and exciting talent like Olise, Chelsea now rotate underperforming wingers like Gittens, Garnacho, and Neto as they struggle to stay in the EPL top four.
Olise proves that Chelsea’s £150,000 salary cap will more often than not, make them miss out on players who can fire the club to immediate success in the near future.
