Mbappé Explains Why He Never Asked Olise to Join Him at Real Madrid

Some questions Kylian Mbappé would rather not answer, even when he already knows exactly what he thinks. One of them was unavoidable this summer: did he ask Michael Olise to join him at Real Madrid? The answer, given in an interview with the German newspaper Bild, is a flat no, and the explanation says a lot about how Mbappé views respect among fellow professionals.

Olise's name came up repeatedly in Real Madrid's front offices during the summer transfer window. The club had been pushing an ambitious overhaul of its attack, with president Florentino Perez ready to offer 150 million euros (roughly $171 million) for a marquee forward. In the end, the player chosen to strengthen that part of the field was Yan Diomande, signed from RB Leipzig in the most expensive deal in the club's history. Olise, meanwhile, stayed put at Bayern Munich.

Mbappé and Olise share a locker room with the French national team and were both key figures at the World Cup, so the temptation to "recruit" him for Madrid was always going to come up. But Mbappé was clear about why he never made that move:

It would be disrespectful to tell a player to leave. That would be unfair to Bayern, especially since Bayern is a massive club where Michael can achieve a lot.Kylian Mbappé

Mbappé explained that he knows exactly what it feels like to be at the center of transfer rumors, having lived through years of constant speculation himself back when he was still at PSG. That's why he chose to stay out of it. He also had a direct compliment for his national team teammate: "every club in the world would want Michael Olise. He's an extraordinary player." That's no small praise coming from Mbappé: Olise went on to be named Bundesliga Player of the Season for 2025-26 after a standout year in Bayern's title run.

Mourinho and the Pressure to Win Trophies

The interview also touched on a thornier subject for Mbappé: the criticism he's faced for not having won a major title since arriving at Real Madrid in 2024. This summer the club decided to change course by bringing in Jose Mourinho as head coach, and the forward had nothing but praise for the new manager. "Jose Mourinho is extremely smart. That's why he's had so much success in his career. He's very close to us players, he genuinely cares about us. He's a leader, he knows exactly how to get the best out of everyone," he said.

Mbappé, 27, is spending this international break with France, and he used the moment to talk about something beyond this season: his long term future. Asked whether he sees himself playing until age 40, like his childhood idol Cristiano Ronaldo, he was honest: he doesn't picture it. "We have to be completely honest, considering the country I play for: France would never let me play until I'm 41," he said. He added: "Cristiano shows that if you're in good shape physically and mentally, you can play at a high level for a long time. In my case, though, I don't see that as possible."