On September 18, the equipment manufacturer market shook with the resounding departure of Kylian Mbappé, historic figurehead of Nike, to the On brand. Faced with this major defection and the recent flight of several of its headliners such as Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembélé, the American firm had to react with a bang. According to information from specialist media Footy Headlines, it is now done. The swoosh brand has set its sights on the most coveted player of the moment: Michael Olise. An XXL signature to secure the services of the Bayern Munich star, author of a stratospheric international break with the French team (4 goals and 2 assists in his first four matches under the orders of Zinédine Zidane), the comma brand being the historic equipment supplier of the Blues.
It must be said that the 24-year-old attacking midfielder (29 caps, 11 goals) represented a fascinating anomaly in modern football. While the world’s biggest players sign multi-million euro contracts to promote the brands’ latest innovations, the London native has spent the last few seasons building his legend as a “boot free agent”. Like Paul Pogba a few years ago (free for a long time before signing with adidas), the Bavarian wisp systematically refused the golden bridges to maintain total freedom in the choice of his crampons, unceremoniously rejecting all approaches.
The Nike Hypervenom as a shock argument to convince Olise
This independence allowed him to cultivate a true obsession with a very specific pair: the Nike Hypervenom Phantom III. This iconic model, whose production was definitively stopped in 2018, has become its signature on European lawns. A true fan of this model, much appreciated by purists, Michael Olise hunted down unsold vintage examples all over the world to make them his own. He then entrusted them to renowned artists like Matty Boy to display tailor-made creations during the World Cup, in the Champions League, or even in stealthy black versions to perfectly match the famous Oktoberfest 2026-2027 jersey of the German giant, as reported by the specialized media.
To convince the player, Nike had to show a totally unexpected trump card. The former Crystal Palace player’s unwavering commitment to the cleats proved to US leaders that a colossal demand still existed. According to the latest indiscretions, the brand is preparing to completely stop production of its current Phantom silo by 2027 to relaunch the legendary Hypervenom series with great fanfare. By signing this golden contract, Michael Olise is not only joining the American team: he is establishing himself as the worthy heir of Neymar, becoming the new global face of the resurrection of this iconic shoe. New proof of the growing aura of a player who has continued to push the limits in recent months.
