Real Madrid Release Michael Olise Statement Amid Reports of $230 Million Bid

Club president Florentino Pérez wants to make a serious statement this summer.

Real Madrid have denied having any contact with Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise or his representatives amid swirling reports of an imminent bid.

Multiple outlets have suggested Olise is the true dream of Madrid president Florentino Pérez, despite Los Blancos’ surprise $173 million (€150 million) offer for Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez, and the speculation has reached new heights in recent days.

The latest rumor is that Madrid will make a renewed push for Olise later this summer with a bid potentially worth as much as $230 million (€200 million), but the La Liga giants have moved to shut the story down.

What Did Real Madrid Say?

Continuing their trend of releasing surprising public statements about their transfer business, Madrid were adamant they have made no attempts to try and land Olise’s signature this summer.

“In response to reports in various media outlets regarding an alleged interest from our club in Bayern Munich player Michael Olise, Real Madrid CF wishes to state that it has not had any direct or indirect contact with the aforementioned player, his representatives, or anyone in his entourage,” the statement read.

“Real Madrid also wishes to highlight the excellent institutional relationship it maintains with Bayern Munich, with whom it shares a long history of mutual respect, collaboration and admiration, and regrets the spread of speculation that does not correspond to reality.

“Both clubs have always maintained a relationship based on trust and mutual respect, which is reflected, among other aspects, in the shared conviction that any potential interest in a player belonging to the other club must be dealt with first between the entities themselves, in accordance with the principles of institutional loyalty that have historically governed the relations between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.”

What Does Real Madrid’s Statement Mean?

In reality, not very much.

While it must be assumed that Madrid are telling the truth with their statement, all that means is that they have not tried to pursue a deal for Olise up to this point. It says nothing about their future plans.

Madrid are clearly determined to act with class and respect in any future negotiations with Bayern Munich who, in the eyes of the law, must grant permission for an interested club to speak with any of their players under contract—a practice that is very rarely adhered to in the modern game.

These days, contact is usually made with agents on behalf of the players, with all contact done through the third party, and there have even been plenty of examples of managers speaking with transfer targets before receiving permission. The concept of “tapping up,” as it is known, is far more common than most would admit.

If Madrid do want to pursue Olise, their statement suggests they would commit to first trying to strike an agreement with Bayern over a transfer fee before holding any talks with the Frenchman. Unfortunately for Los Blancos, that might be easier said than done.

“For a player like Olise, there’s no price tag that would make us flinch,” Bayern board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge insisted earlier this summer.

The only way to convince Bayern to sell may well be through a transfer request from Olise. As it stands, there is no indication that is coming.