Adidas Wanted to Sign Michael Olise Before Landmark Nike Agreement
- Olise's Boot Deal: Michael Olise, a highly sought-after boot free agent, is set to sign a multi-million-euro deal with Nike, despite a strong push from Adidas earlier in the year.
- Adidas's Pursuit: Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden publicly expressed his desire to sign Olise, and the company made a substantial long-term offer, influenced by Bayern Munich's commercial ties with Adidas.
- Nike's Winning Strategy: Nike secured the deal by committing to revive Olise's favored, vintage Hypervenom line for 2027, leveraging his long-standing preference for the discontinued boots.
Michael Olise has spent the past few seasons as football's most intriguing boot free agent. While the Bayern Munich and France star is now poised to officially announce a blockbuster multi-million-euro boot deal with Nike, rivals Adidas made a serious push to lure him away earlier in the year.
Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden Openly Pursued Bayern Star
During an event in New York in June 2026, Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden publicly expressed his strong admiration for Olise. Gulden admitted on stage that he is a huge fan of the Bayern winger and stated outright that he would have loved to sign him to the Three Stripes.
Given Bayern Munich's deep commercial and equity ties with Adidas, uniting the club's electric winger with the brand was an obvious priority in Herzogenaurach.
Reports over the summer indicated that Adidas prepared a substantial, long-term contract proposal to bring Olise into the fold. Olise had resisted signing any boot sponsorship throughout his rapid rise, prioritizing complete freedom over his footwear choices instead of accepting standard endorsement packages.
That unique freedom allowed Olise to cultivate a signature aesthetic on the pitch. Instead of wearing current-generation releases, the French international became famous for hunting down deadstock pairs of the Nike Hypervenom Phantom III—a silo officially phased out back in 2018.
Olise regularly commissioned custom sneaker artists to hand-paint and color-match his vintage Hypervenoms to his Crystal Palace, Bayern Munich, and France kits.
Ultimately, Olise's longstanding preference for the Hypervenom proved decisive. Following Kylian Mbappé's departure from Nike to Swiss sportswear brand On, Nike moved aggressively to lock down Olise as a primary face of the brand's football category.
The Swoosh's commitment to revive the Hypervenom line for 2027 sealed the deal, leaving Adidas empty-handed despite their best efforts.
What do you think about Adidas being Olise’s next destination? Do you think Nike or Adidas would be a better fit for Olise? Let us know in the comments below.