Immediate action: special meeting to discuss Barcelona star's move to Bayern Munich
A fresh chance to prove himself
Deco, Barcelona's sporting director, held a meeting yesterday, Friday, in the Catalan city with Juanma Lopez, Dani Olmo's agent, to discuss the player's current situation within the squad and to establish the intentions of both parties, amid growing reports of Bayern Munich's interest in signing the Blaugrana star.
According to the Spanish newspaper "Sport", the talks landed at a moment when Olmo's future has sparked plenty of debate, particularly since Bayern's interest came to light. Both parties wanted to thrash out his position face to face.
Nothing about the meeting felt tense. Both sides want to keep the lines of communication open and head off any misreading of the stories swirling around the player's future.
Bayern Munich's interest in signing Dani Olmo goes back years. Max Eberl, the Bavarian club's sporting director, ranks among the biggest admirers of the player's abilities and tried to sign him once before, when the Spain international was at Dinamo Zagreb and Eberl was sporting director at Borussia Monchengladbach.
That admiration hasn't faded, which explains why Bayern have kept such a close eye on Olmo's situation.
Then there's the prospect of Michael Olise and Jamal Musiala leaving. Should either go, Bayern would need fresh options to bolster their attack.
No official offers have arrived for Olmo so far, and none is expected any time soon.
His departure is a highly unlikely scenario
Bayern's interest hasn't translated into negotiations. An Olmo exit from Barcelona looks highly unlikely as things stand.
Only a huge financial offer would persuade the Catalan club to even entertain the idea.
Money isn't the decisive factor, though. Olmo simply doesn't want to leave Barcelona. He wants to carry on with the team and claim the standing he believes he is capable of occupying in Hansi Flick's squad.
Remember, Olmo's name was linked with a Barcelona move across four or five consecutive summers. He never hid his desire to return to the club where he was raised, and he only got there after the arrival of Deco, one of the deal's most prominent backers.
After all those years waiting for the chance to pull on the Blaugrana shirt, Olmo isn't about to give up the dream in a hurry. He wants to stay and fight for his place.
Barcelona's officials know it too. The player has no interest in walking away from the club of his dreams, a message that has swept away any lingering doubts raised by the Bayern reports.
Olmo fights for a place in the starting line-up
Olmo wants to feel important and he wants a prominent role in the line-up. He had hoped for more minutes at the start of the season, but he's handling his situation with a clear determination to carve out greater space in Flick's plans.
Both sides also traded views on his appearances so far and what the future holds, especially after the excellent level he produced at the World Cup.
Barcelona's message was reassuring. The sporting management emphasised their confidence in his abilities and potential, convinced he has the technical qualities to become an important element in the team.
Club officials urged patience through the current phase. They believe Olmo will get his chances to prove himself and strengthen his standing in Flick's plans as the season wears on.
So both parties left having clarified their positions. Barcelona don't plan to give the player up, and Olmo isn't looking for a way out.
Bayern's interest hasn't moved anything. No deal is in motion, and the player's priority remains securing an important standing in Barcelona's ranks.
