READING, ENGLAND - JUNE 20: Michael Olise of Reading FC takes a kne ahead of the Sky Bet Championship match between Reading and Stoke City at Madejski Stadium on June 20, 2020 in Reading, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
According to Teamtalk (h/t ESPN), Liverpool are the latest club to show an interest in Reading starlet Michael Olise. The youngster has been a subject of interest from various other clubs in England such as Arsenal, Manchester City, Leeds United and Everton. There has also been some interest from outside teams such as Napoli, Borussia Dortmund and AS Monaco.
Michael Olise started his footballing education in the youth ranks of Chelsea before joining Reading’s academy on a free transfer back in 2015. He initially impressed for the Berkshire outfit’s U-18 side before bursting onto the first-team picture in the Championship during the 2018-19 season.
The 18-year-old made only 4 league appearances in his debut season. He then went on to establish himself in a more prominent role last season, featuring 19 times in the English second-tier.
Olise has started the 2020-21 season in the Championship on a bright note. The French U-18 international bagged an assist in Reading’s 2-0 victory over Derby County on the opening day of the campaign. He then followed it up with his first senior goal as the Royals beat Barnsley 2-0 at the Madejski Stadium.
So far, he has made 10 appearances this season, scoring two goals and assisting three more (source – Transfermarkt). He is a part of the French U-18 squad and has two caps for them to date.
Liverpool have one of the best forward lines in Europe with the trident of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane. They are also well backed up by the likes of Diogo Jota, Takumi Minamino and Xherdan Shaqiri. All that suggests that Olise might not be a necessity at this time.
However, Michael Olise would be one for the future given his young age. At 18, he has enough time to develop into a big player. His versatility of playing on either wing and attacking midfield is another factor that supports him.
Also, the fact that he is regularly rubbing shoulders with the senior pros at just 18 is clearly indicative of some excellent progress and highlights a level of maturity that belies his tender years.
Under Klopp, Olise could improve further with intricate care. He could be a shrewd bit of investment from the club. Liverpool should definitely go for Michael Olise in January because he would represent a good bit of business in the current climate.
