Michael Olise has long since become one of FC Bayern’s most important players. The French attacking star impresses with his technical skills and is now one of the most dangerous forwards in Europe. Yet his career in the Bundesliga could have taken a completely different turn. As has now come to light, Olise was also at the top of Borussia Dortmund’s wish list in the summer of 2024.

What’s particularly noteworthy: BVB apparently began exploring a move for the then-Crystal Palace pro even earlier than FC Bayern. The Dortmunders had already made concrete inquiries in England and were quite confident of securing a transfer.

It wasn’t until the German record champions entered the fray that the situation changed fundamentally. In the end, the Black and Yellows had to admit that they no longer stood a realistic chance against the Munich club.

BVB was on Olise’s trail before Bayern

As BILD chief reporter Maximilian Wessing reports in the “Dortmund Insider” podcast, Borussia Dortmund had the French national team player on their radar early on. “They were actually a bit earlier in the game and made very specific inquiries in England: Is there a possibility of signing this player?” Wessing revealed.

According to Wessing, this was by no means just casual interest. BVB officials had identified Olise as a potential reinforcement and were seriously exploring the possibilities of signing him.

But when FC Bayern entered the fray, the transfer negotiations took a decisive turn. “Until FC Bayern entered the negotiations, and at that point, Dortmund had to be honest with themselves: They simply didn’t stand a chance,” explained the BILD reporter.

The Munich club ultimately secured the attacking player’s services in the summer of 2024, paying Crystal Palace approximately 53 million euros.

An investment that, from today’s perspective, has proven to be a real home run.

Kovac Announces Special Plan Against Olise

This Saturday will see a direct showdown between FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund. And of all players, Olise could turn out to be a decisive factor.

Under Vincent Kompany, the Frenchman has developed into a key player and regularly causes major problems for opposing defenses.

BVB coach Niko Kovac is also well aware of the 24-year-old’s exceptional qualities. At the press conference ahead of the classic match, the Dortmund coach explained how his team plans to stop the Bayern star. “Daniel has done very well against Olise in recent games. We know what Michael Olise is capable of, so we have to try to neutralize him.”

He is referring to left back Daniel Svensson, who is expected to once again have to deal with the French winger.

Kovac made it clear, however, that this task will be nearly impossible for a single player to handle alone. “We have to support each other; we have to double-team him, and certainly triple-team him at times. We have to run a lot; we have to be ready to push ourselves to the limit,” emphasized the BVB coach.

This underscores the respect Olise has earned even among his direct rivals.

For Borussia Dortmund, watching the Bayern star is likely to be particularly painful. After all, the Frenchman could have been playing in a black-and-yellow jersey a good two years ago.

Instead, Olise is now one of FC Bayern’s most influential players and could become the match-winner against none other than the club that once sought to sign him.

This article was translated into English by AI. You can read the original version here https://fcbinside.de/2026/10/31/bvb-plan-enthuellt-bayern-star-olise-waere-fast-in-dortmund-gelandet/.