Premier League club rejected Michael Olise as teenager over ‘attitude problem’

In a parallel universe, Michael Olise is sporting a famous white playing kit, but it’s not the one of Real Madrid.

Instead, it’s Tottenham, as talkSPORT’s Natalie Sawyer revealed the Premier League side had the opportunity to sign Olise when he was a teenager, only to let him walk free because of a supposed attitude problem.

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Why Spurs swerved Olise as a youngster

“I have a story that I was told,” Sawyer said on Monday’s edition of White and Jordan, which she co-hosted alongside Scott Minto.

“He could have signed for Tottenham. He was brought in to Tottenham at a very young age and part of the reason they didn’t sign him was because of issues with his attitude. This is what I was told.

“He then went to Reading.

“The difference between what happened at Tottenham to what happened at Reading, was because Reading had to keep him because he was so good, they can work around this player. Whereas Tottenham thought, ‘Well, we’ve got numerous stars.'”

Tottenham are far from the only side who may be kicking themselves over not keeping Olise as Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City all had the electric winger on their books when he was a youngster.

A Royal punt… and the rest is history

Ultimately it was Reading who took a punt on Olise, where he flourished as a teenager.

The Royals’ 2020/21 season proved to be the France international’s breakout campaign, as he chalked up an impressive 19 goal contributions in the Championship.

His eye-catching numbers sparked significant interest from Premier League teams, with Crystal Palace winning the race for his services in July 2021 after they triggered the £8million clause in his contract.

Olise’s trajectory then skyrocketed while at Selhurst Park, prompting European powerhouse Bayern Munich to part with £60m to sign him in July 2024.

The 24-year-old didn’t take long to erase any doubt whether he could handle the step up in competition and expectation, scoring 20 and assisting 23 times in his debut campaign for the Bavarians.

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Surrounded by stars like Harry Kane and Luis Diaz, Olise had no issue with chalking up even more assists in the 2025/26 season as he set up a staggering 31 goals, 19 of which were in the Bundesliga.

Olise’s remarkable displays for Bayern have cemented him as a serious contender for the Ballon d’Or.

Expect the 24-year-old’s Ballon d’Or credentials to be strengthened should he enjoy a solid World Cup with France, who are strong contenders to win it all.

Olise the Galactico?

But once the tournament is wrapped up, Olise is unlikely to stay out of the headlines amid reports Real Madrid are keen to sign him.

The Olise links to the Bernabeu were ramped up in the wake of Florentino Perez’s vow to launch a £130m bid for a mystery star should he be re-elected as Madrid’s president.

Perez has since retained his position of power, meaning an eye-watering bid for a modern superstar is expected to land soon.

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Given Olise’s unstoppable rise and the fact he’s just 24, many have speculated it could be him that Perez is eyeing up.

However, ex-Chelsea defender Minto does not believe Bayern will be willing to play ball with Real over their prized asset.

“I think he would be a really good buy and he is one of the top talents in the world,” Minto said.

“I think he’s going to have a really good World Cup as well. Think of his journey, where he’s come from to where he is now.

“Bayern Munich are not going to have it, he’s not going to go to Real Madrid. But when you’re the president and you’re promising things, it feels like you’re promising the world.”

Minto added: “It’s Bayern Munich. You don’t sell your best players, bottom line.”