Thierry Henry praised Michael Olise after the Bayern Munich attacker starred in his side's 2-1 Champions League quarter-final win over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. Olise, 24, teed up Harry Kane for the decisive goal, and his performance drew glowing reviews from pundits, including Jamie Carragher, who called it one of the best displays of the season.
Speaking on CBS Sports, Henry said: "Michael is a special player. He sees and thinks about the game differently, the way he sees life. When he gets the ball, he sees things that few others can. He perceives the game differently, he sees it more with his brain than his eyes."
Olise joined Bayern from Crystal Palace for £50million in the summer of 2024 and has continued his development under Vincent Kompany. His form has not gone unnoticed in the Premier League, with The i Paper reporting last month that Liverpool hold a keen interest in him as a long-term successor to Mohamed Salah, whose contract expires at the end of this season.
Steven Gerrard, speaking on talkSPORT, identified Olise as his preferred like-for-like replacement for Salah, but added: "I don't think he'd be available." The Liverpool legend also noted the club's strong record of replacing top players, citing the signing of Luis Diaz after Sadio Mane's departure as an example of a different type of option.
Gerrard acknowledged the difficulty of replacing Salah's goal involvements, saying: "He's been incredible for Liverpool for many years." The Reds are reportedly weighing up signing both an established star and a younger talent to fill the void.
