Michael Olise is keen to leave Crystal Palace for Bayern Munich this summer, a move that comes with a unique requirement. Despite interest from several Premier League clubs, including Chelsea, Newcastle, Manchester United, and Manchester City, the 22-year-old Frenchman has reportedly chosen Bayern.
Crystal Palace values Olise at over £60 million, a figure that deterred Chelsea due to a release clause that only applies to Champions League teams, which Chelsea hasn’t qualified for.
If Olise joins Bayern, he will follow the footsteps of Harry Kane and Eric Dier in moving from London to Bavaria. In addition to learning German and participating in Oktoberfest traditions, Olise will encounter a distinctive car-related rule at Bayern.
Audi has sponsored Bayern since 2002 and owns 8.33% of the club. As part of this partnership, players receive an Audi upon arrival but must drive it to training, matches, and other club events. Harry Kane, for instance, chose a black Q8 e-tron after his move from Tottenham last summer.
Kane shared his experience with BILD, saying, “I’ve already tried [driving in Germany], but of course not with the new car. I’ll slowly get used to the fact that the steering wheel is on the other side. So far I haven’t had a crash, so that’s a positive thing.”
While having a free car is a perk, it has led to fines for some players who drove non-Audi vehicles. The club fined Kingsley Coman £43,500 for driving a McLaren instead of his Audi, which he cited had a broken wing mirror. Other players like Niklas Sule, Jerome Boateng, and Philippe Coutinho have also faced fines for similar infractions. The rules do allow driving Bentleys, Bugattis, and Porsches, as they are part of the Volkswagen group.
As Olise looks forward to a potential big-money transfer, he could become a key figure in Bayern’s squad overhaul under new manager Vincent Kompany, following a rare trophyless season in 2023/24.
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