Liverpool open talks for Michael Olise transfer but there’s a dilemma for Iraola – report

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Liverpool are reportedly planning a long-term move for Michael Olise in next year’s summer transfer window.A reputable source on X (formerly Twitter) claims that the wide man is “very keen” on the potential switch.The Merseysiders’ interest in the France international has been long-established, with the Reds arguably still in clear need of an elite, right-sided winger.Certainly, failure to sign Yan Diomande – who eventually traded life in Leipzig for the Spanish capital with Real Madrid – could yet lead Andoni Iraola’s men in this direction.Michael Olise is admired at Liverpool FC(Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)Let’s not beat around the bush: if Olise became available in a future window, Liverpool would snap up the former Crystal Palace star in a heartbeat – fee depending.Want more Empire of the Kop coverage? For starters, we just don’t have one at present, which explains why the club looked at a deal for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Yankuba Minteh in the summer, among other targets.And if you’re bringing in Michael Olise, you’re more or less guaranteeing immediate impact with a player with star quality and that rare premium of Premier League experience.It’s a no-brainer, really, assuming Bayern’s position on selling the attacker shifts.

Don’t forget, either, that it was a lot of money Liverpool paid for Wirtz.”For context, the Bayern Munich expert was responding to rumours of FC Bayern interest in Florian Wirtz and the possibility of a swap deal with Michael Olise.Now, from our perspective, we imagine Liverpool would be looking to add a player like the Frenchman to our squad, not replace the German international.However, if Bayern’s No.17 is increasingly adapting to occupying central space for club and country, we have to wonder whether this poses a bit of a problem for a potential recruiting club like Liverpool. Ultimately, if we’re planning with Wirtz long-term, how does it help the player to have Olise competing for space centrally behind the striker?We’re not expecting a right winger to just hug the touchline for 90 minutes, we still want them to invert necessary.

However, we’ve ultimately set up our current system to facilitate goals from the central striker, so we ideally (probably) don’t want our right winger occupying the same space Florian Wirtz might.Theoretically, Liverpool could do replicate aspects of what Vincent Kompany is doing in Munich, utilising rotational play and encouraging both the 10 and Olise to sit behind the striker and overload the central spaces. Alternatively, Wirtz could be instructed to fill the space the right winger vacates, but it’s hardly a normal ask for the former Leverkusen man.Not to say we’d be opposed to signing Michael Olise on this basis, but it’s a potential dilemma for the manager to consider.