Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha believes Michael Olise represents exactly the type of player his former club should be targeting, even if a move for the Bayern Munich winger is not realistic right now.
Saha, 47, is a former France international who spent four seasons with Manchester United between 2004 and 2008. He made 124 appearances for the club, scoring 42 goals, and was part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s 2007/08 side that won both the Premier League and Champions League. Saha also played
for Fulham, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Lazio during his career.
Reflecting on Manchester United’s recruitment needs, Saha pointed to Olise as an ideal example of the standard the club should be looking for. Saha also believes recruitment has to go beyond simply identifying talented players, particularly after United have seen high-profile signings struggle to reach expectations.
“Michael Olise would have been the perfect signing for Manchester United this season, and that’s the standard of player they need,” Saha told Mr Gamble. “It is extremely hard to find players with the qualities that Manchester United need but they have a good network of scouts and a new recruitment strategy. It really comes down to who wants to play for the club.
“It’s not just about talent. We saw that with Jadon Sancho. We’ve even seen it with Marcus Rashford. The players have to fit how the team plays, they have to buy into the identity of the club, and they have to want to play for Manchester United more than anything else.
“There are players out there. Michael Olise is that type of player. He’s not a realistic signing at the moment. There will be others. “There are players in foreign leagues who look very exciting but the Premier League is very demanding, so it’s nice to throw those names around but they may not be the best fit. It’s not easy for United this summer.”
Olise, meanwhile, continues to be a key part of Bayern Munich’s plans after establishing himself as one of the Bundesliga’s most dangerous attacking players. As Real Madrid also found out, it could be very tough to convince Bayern Munich to let go of one of its prized wingers.
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