Makelele's Strong Endorsement for Michael Olise at Real Madrid

Claude Makelele has never been one for grandstanding, so when he singles out a player, people tend to listen.

This time, the former Real Madrid and Chelsea midfielder has nailed his colours firmly to one name: Michael Olise.

Makelele’s message to Perez

Makelele revealed he has already taken his admiration for the winger straight to the very top at the Bernabeu, making a personal recommendation to Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.

“Michael Olise to Real Madrid? I would support it. I had the opportunity to speak with President Florentino Perez and I told him that if there's money to spend on just one player, it's him,” he said.

That is not casual praise. That is a man who helped build an era in Madrid effectively telling the club: if you make one big move, make it this one.

A winger who “brings back the feeling”

What captivates Makelele is not just Olise’s numbers, but the sensation he creates when the ball reaches his feet.

He talked about the winger’s creativity and his ability to flip a match on its head, describing how Olise restores something football has been in danger of losing.

Olise, he said, “brings back the feeling of watching football, the taste of what we experienced as children: talent, freedom, quality, effectiveness. When he's not on the pitch, his absence is noticeable.”

That last line is telling. For Makelele, Olise is not simply another gifted wide player. He is the type of footballer whose absence changes the entire rhythm of a team, the kind who leaves a void when he is missing.

Echoes of Messi

Makelele went even further, drawing a bold but deliberate parallel with Lionel Messi when he tried to explain Olise’s influence on a game.

“When he's on form, you sense that, at any moment, like Messi, he can do something unexpected,” he said.

He pointed to the way top forwards respond to Olise’s presence, listing Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe and Bradley Barcola as players who understand the spaces he can find.

“Look at Dembele, Mbappe, Barcola: they know he's capable of placing the ball in a space that other players don't even see. That's the modern football we love, the football that makes fans dream. Even the commentators are amazed by his technique. He's exceptional.”

This is Makelele talking about angles, vision and imagination – the details that separate the good from the special. In his eyes, Olise belongs in that second category.

No Bellingham comparison

As soon as a young star is linked with Real Madrid, the temptation is to rank him against the current icons. Makelele shut that door quickly when Jude Bellingham’s name entered the conversation.

“Jude Bellingham or Michael Olise? Let them speak for themselves. What they're doing is exceptional. I don't make comparisons,” he said.

He then widened the lens, explaining why he rejects those debates altogether.

“That's my philosophy: you never compare the greats. You can't compare Pele with the generations that followed him, and with Diego Maradona, the comparisons never end.

“Zinedine Zidane left his mark on world football and it will last forever, regardless of the generations that follow him. Let each of these young players build their careers in their own way and write their own name in the history of this sport.”

The message is clear. In Makelele’s mind, Olise does not need to be the “next” anyone. Nor does he need to be weighed against Bellingham. The standard he is being held to is much higher: can he carve out a legacy of his own?

Makelele has already given his answer. Now the question is whether Real Madrid act on the advice of one of their most trusted old generals.