Bayern closes the door on selling Olise and Díaz: Dreesen says the club would be "stupid" to let them go
Bayern Munich has no intention of selling Michael Olise or Luis Díaz during the 2026 summer transfer window. The German champions' chief executive officer, Jan-Christian Dreesen, dismissed speculation about the departure of the two wingers, emphasizing that the club had not received an offer, an official inquiry or any other form of contact regarding its important players. His statements, delivered on 28 July at an event at the PresseClub München, represent Bayern's most direct response so far to the stories that spread after the end of the successful 2025/26 season. Dreesen reacted particularly firmly to media reports linking Olise with Real Madrid, while speculation surrounding Díaz suggested a potentially lucrative transfer outside Europe. The message from the club's management was unequivocal: both players are staying in Munich and should have central roles in Vincent Kompany's team during the 2026/27 season.
Dreesen said he was surprised by how far claims that, according to him, have no basis in actual conversations can spread. Speaking about Olise, he stated that Bayern had received "no call, no letter, no fax, no email", thereby seeking to eliminate any room for interpreting that negotiations might be taking place through informal channels. When directly asked whether the France international would remain at the club, he replied briefly: "Of course." He maintained a similar tone when the discussion moved to Díaz. "We would be stupid, wouldn't we? We have such a great team. Let them play and score goals", the chief executive said, according to a report on the Bundesliga's official website.
Olise has received not only the club's protection, but also the status of a key project
Bayern's firm stance on Michael Olise is no surprise given his development since arriving from Crystal Palace in July 2024. The French winger signed a contract until 30 June 2029, meaning the German champions are under no pressure to consider a sale because the agreement is nearing its expiry. At the event in Munich, Dreesen pointed out that Olise still has three years remaining on his contract, and that fact gives Bayern a strong negotiating position even if an interested club were to emerge. However, his words showed that the management is not currently thinking about setting a price, but about retaining the player. In that context, the reported interest from Real Madrid remains at the level of speculation because, according to Bayern's chief executive, there has been no official approach from Madrid.
Olise's market appeal increased considerably after a season in which he became one of the most productive attackers in European football. According to Bundesliga data, he scored 15 goals and recorded a league-high 19 assists during the 2025/26 league season. Bayern stated in its season review that he registered 25 goals and 28 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions. That performance earned him the DFL's Bundesliga Player of the Season award, while Bayern supporters voted him the club's Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. His influence is therefore measured not only by numbers, but also by the fact that he has become one of the main faces of the team that won the domestic double.
The France international's performance at the 2026 World Cup attracted additional attention. The Bundesliga's official website states that Olise registered seven assists at the tournament and set a new competition record in that category. After such a summer, it was expected that stories about interest from Europe's biggest clubs would emerge publicly. Nevertheless, those record-breaking performances simultaneously strengthened Bayern's reason to retain him: he is a player who, at the age of 24, already has an exceptional output, a long-term contract and room for further development. For a club that wants to remain competitive in the Champions League, selling him would mean losing a player who would be difficult to replace without an enormous investment and sporting risk.
Díaz immediately justified the major investment in his first season
Luis Díaz joined Bayern from Liverpool on 30 July 2025 and signed a contract until the summer of 2029. The Colombia international was brought in as a proven Premier League player, but in Munich he quickly developed into one of the most important attacking options. In his first Bundesliga season, he scored 15 goals and recorded 14 assists, according to data cited by the Bundesliga in its report on Dreesen's statements. Bayern also states on the player's official profile that Díaz had 45 direct goal involvements in 51 competitive appearances during his first season. Such a contribution explains why Dreesen described the very idea of selling him as unreasonable.
Díaz gives Bayern a different profile from Olise, although both play in wide positions. The Colombian most often operates from the left, attacks space through direct runs and participates aggressively in the press after possession is lost. When he arrived, the club described him as a player whose intensity, work without the ball and ability to transition quickly into counterattacks fit well into Kompany's system. Olise, on the other hand, usually starts from the right wing, moves inside onto his stronger left foot and combines creativity with precise finishing. Together, they allow Bayern to attack from both sides, change the tempo and create space for central striker Harry Kane.
Their complementary qualities were visible throughout the entire 2025/26 season. In March, Bayern presented them as the most productive wing partnership in Europe at that time, and the club emphasized that they had already been involved in 67 goals together across all competitions. Their output increased further by the end of the season, while the attacking line with Kane became the foundation of domestic dominance. Díaz was not merely a player of moments and statistics: his willingness to contribute defensively helped the team maintain a high press, while his verticality offered a solution when opponents closed the space between the lines. Precisely because of this combination of individual quality and tactical value, a possible sale would not be merely a personnel issue, but an intervention in the very structure of Kompany's team.
The sporting result gives Bayern a reason for continuity
Bayern finished the 2025/26 season by winning the Bundesliga and the DFB Cup, which was the club's first domestic double since 2020. According to official club data, it was the 35th German championship, the 21st national cup title and the 14th double overall in Bayern's history. In the DFB Cup final on 23 May in Berlin, the team defeated VfB Stuttgart 3-0, with Olise and Díaz both in the starting line-up. That success strengthened the management's assessment that the existing core of the team can continue winning trophies. Instead of a major rebuild, public messages from Munich indicate an intention to preserve continuity in attack.
Such a strategy also makes broader sporting sense. In elite European football, clubs often have to choose between accepting an exceptionally high offer and preserving a team capable of immediately challenging for the biggest titles. In the cases of Olise and Díaz, Bayern has clearly given priority to the second option. Both have contracts until 2029, have completed an outstanding season and hold important roles in the system of a coach who has already won two consecutive Bundesliga titles. Selling either of them would force the club to search for a replacement at a time when the prices of elite wingers are extremely high and the adaptation of a new player is never guaranteed. Dreesen's statement that Bayern would be "stupid" was therefore not merely a humorous rejection, but a summary of the assessment of the sporting and financial risk.
The decision to retain the two attackers is also important for dressing-room stability. In a club interview during last season, Olise and Díaz emphasized the unity within the team, the clarity of Kompany's tactical demands and the feeling that the players were working toward the same goal. Díaz described Bayern as a family, while Olise stressed that the team does not function as a collection of individuals. Although statements made by players during a season cannot in themselves guarantee a long-term stay, they are consistent with the management's current position. The club wants to preserve a group that has already developed automatic patterns of play and shown that it can withstand the pressure of competing for multiple trophies.
The main challenge is no longer the transfer window, but delivering at the European level
Bayern enters the new season with the goal of defending its domestic titles, but also with the expectation of taking an additional step in the Champions League. The domestic double confirmed the team's quality, but European competition remains the benchmark by which Bayern's most ambitious generations are traditionally judged. Retaining Olise and Díaz reduces uncertainty in the most creative part of the squad and allows Kompany to focus preparations on developing the team's play rather than urgently integrating replacements. According to the schedule published by the Bundesliga, Bayern will play the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup against Borussia Dortmund on 22 August, which will be the first major competitive test of the new season. By then, both wingers are expected to join the preparations after their international commitments and rest.
The public rejection does not mean that the rumours will disappear completely. Players with the output of Olise and Díaz regularly attract interest, while transfer windows leave room for new stories until they close. However, the distinction between media links and an actual transfer process is important in this case: Bayern claims that it has received neither an offer nor an official inquiry. The club also has no contractual need to sell, while the sporting performances of both players give it a strong reason not to enter negotiations. Until different official information emerges, the firmest available fact is Dreesen's message that Olise and Díaz remain part of the plans for the 2026/27 season.
For supporters and rivals, this means that, based on the current situation, Bayern will once again build its attack around Díaz's speed, Olise's creativity and Kane's finishing. In doing so, the management attempted to redirect attention from possible departures toward what it expects from the team: the continuation of the winning run and a new series of goals. Dreesen's words closed the door on a voluntary sale, but at the same time raised sporting expectations. After a season marked by the double, Olise and Díaz are no longer merely successful signings, but players Bayern expects to lead its next European breakthrough.
Sources:
- Bundesliga - report on Jan-Christian Dreesen's statements, the status of Olise and Díaz and their Bundesliga statistics (link)
- FC Bayern Munich - official profile of Michael Olise, contract duration and information about his arrival at the club (link)
- FC Bayern Munich - official announcement of Luis Díaz's transfer and contract until 2029 (link)
- FC Bayern Munich - official profile of Luis Díaz and information about his performance in his first season (link)
- FC Bayern Munich - expert analysis of Díaz's playing style and integration into the high-pressing system (link)
- FC Bayern Munich - review of winning the Bundesliga and the DFB Cup in the 2025/26 season (link)
- German Football Association - official match report for the DFB Cup final between Bayern and VfB Stuttgart (link)
- FC Bayern Munich - season review of Michael Olise's performance across all competitions in 2025/26 (link)
- FC Bayern Munich - interview with Olise and Díaz about their partnership, team unity and the role of Vincent Kompany (link)