Mbappe brands talk of Olise joining him at Real Madrid 'disrespectful'
Mbappe brands talk of Olise joining him at Real Madrid 'disrespectful'
Kylian Mbappe has dismissed suggestions that he should have encouraged France team-mate Michael Olise to swap Bayern Munich for Real Madrid this summer, labelling any such advice as “disrespectful” to the Bundesliga champions.
‘Unfair to Bayern’
Olise was the subject of intense speculation after a stunning second season in Germany, which yielded the Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal. He finished the league campaign with 34 goal involvements – 15 goals and 19 assists – a record for a winger since Opta began collecting data in the German top flight in 2004-05. Only Harry Kane (41) directly contributed to more Bundesliga goals than Olise, who also scored five times and provided seven assists in 13 Champions League appearances.
The links gathered pace after Florentino Perez pledged to spend big on a ‘Galactico’ prior to winning Madrid’s presidential election – though the club ultimately denied making a move for the in-demand wideman. Mbappe, however, was never going to be the one to push his international colleague towards the Spanish capital.
“I was aware of the speculation,” Mbappe said. “But I know the situation well myself. Back when I was a PSG player, there were countless rumours.
“And I feel it would be disrespectful to advise a player to make a move. That would be unfair to Bayern, especially since Bayern is a great club where Michael can achieve a lot.
“One thing is clear, though: every club in the world would love to have Michael Olise. He is an outstanding player.”
Olise’s record-breaking year
Olise carried his club form onto the global stage, becoming the first player on record (since 1966) to register seven assists in a single edition of the World Cup. Across Europe’s top five leagues in all competitions this season, only Barcelona duo Raphinha (17) and Lamine Yamal (14) managed more goal contributions than Olise’s 11 (eight goals, three assists). Those displays saw him crowned the Bundesliga Player of the Season for 2025-26.
Mbappe backs Mourinho revival
Mbappe, who joined Madrid in 2024, has faced criticism for failing to win a major trophy since his arrival, and the club has turned to Jose Mourinho this summer in a bid to change their fortunes. The 27-year-old has managed eight goals and two assists in eight appearances in all competitions so far, and he is convinced the Portuguese is the right man to lead the club back to the top.
“Jose Mourinho is extremely intelligent,” Mbappe added. “That’s why he’s been able to achieve such great success in his career.
“He’s very close to us players, and takes a real interest in us. He’s a leader, he knows exactly how to get the best out of us.”
France return and World Cup landmarks
Mbappe is now preparing to turn out for France for the first time since their third-place defeat to England at the World Cup, with Turkiye the opponents in the nation’s opening Nations League fixture this Friday. In that 6-4 loss to England, Mbappe scored twice and set up another, taking his tally to a record 14 goal involvements at a single World Cup since records began in 1966 (10 goals, four assists). No player has scored more World Cup goals than his 22.
Asked whether he could follow Cristiano Ronaldo in representing his country at the age of 41, Mbappe was clear he could not see it happening.
“We have to be completely honest, considering the country I play for: France would never let me play until I’m 41,” Mbappe said. “Cristiano proves that if you’re physically and mentally fit, you can play at a high level for a long time. In my case, though, I don’t see it happening.”