Fresh off Harry Kane securing the 2026 Ballon d’Or, Bayern Munich chief executive officer Jan-Christian Dreesen believes teammate Michael Olise has what it takes to win the coveted award next. Speaking with SportBILD, Dreesen expressed the Bavarian giants’ desire to secure the 24-year-old French attacking midfielder long-term after he placed ninth in Monday’s voting, sandwiched between Erling Haaland in eighth and Fabián Ruiz in tenth. Kane’s own situation is further along.
Kane received his award at the London Palladium on Monday, becoming the first English player to win the honor since Michael Owen in 2001. The striker finished ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal after an astounding voting period where he scored 73 goals across 65 matches for club and country, including 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern. Kane is expected to feature when Bayern face second-division Magdeburg in the DFB-Pokal second round on Wednesday, just three days ahead of a crucial clash against Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena.
Olise’s top-ten finish follows an exceptional campaign where he was crowned Bundesliga Player of the Season for 2025-26. Between August 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026, the playmaker logged 27 goals and 35 assists in 69 matches for Bayern and France. In league play alone, he recorded 15 goals and 19 assists in 32 matches, with Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes being the only player across Europe’s top five leagues to deliver more assists. Olise also shone on the international stage, leading the 2026 FIFA World Cup with seven assists to help France secure a fourth-place finish.
The French star originally joined Bayern from Crystal Palace for a €53m fee in July 2024, signing a contract through June 30, 2029. Dreesen emphasized that the club wants to retain Olise for as long as possible, echoing previous public statements from sporting director Max Eberl regarding planned talks for an early contract extension.
Meanwhile, negotiations regarding Kane’s contract are progressing rapidly. With his current deal set to expire at the conclusion of the season, Dreesen revealed that a extension through 2029 is presently being finalized, noting that he remains extremely positive about reaching an agreement. According to his deal expires at the end of this season, and Dreesen, An extension to 2029 is in the works, adding that he is very positive.
