The most pressing question hanging over Bayern Munich this summer is whether Michael Olise will still be at the club when the Bundesliga season kicks off. Reports from L'Equipe claimed the 24-year-old communicated a desire to join Real Madrid to France teammates during the World Cup, with Kylian Mbappe actively lobbying him toward the Bernabeu. Bayern's position remains firm: Olise is not for sale. The club has publicly declared him unverkäuflich at any price, including offers above 200 million euros, and his agent has reportedly told Bayern officials directly: "Don't worry, we're staying." Real Madrid themselves have internally labelled a deal "near impossible" this window. Bayern are pushing to extend Olise's contract beyond 2029 and are prepared to nearly double his salary to around 25 million euros per year. The situation carries wider implications. Defender Dayot Upamecano, who extended his own contract in February after similar Real Madrid speculation, has reportedly lobbied Olise personally to stay. Should Olise leave, there are concerns it could unsettle other key players, including Upamecano himself, who has an exit clause worth a reported 65 million euros active from next summer.

Beyond the Olise saga, Vincent Kompany faces a disrupted pre-season build-up. Only six senior players were available for initial fitness testing, with Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala, Alphonso Davies and new signing Ismael Saibari among those absent due to World Cup involvement or injury. The squad will only fully reassemble after an Asia tour in early August. Bayern's first test comes on July 25 against Wehen Wiesbaden, with the Bundesliga opener against Stuttgart on August 28 the first real marker of where this team stands.