Ribery ready to join revolution at Bayern
FRANCK RIBERY will be unveiled as a Bayern Munich player tomorrow after Marseille agreed a $34 million fee to sell the France international. Munich have been on a major spending spree to strengthen their squad since their 2005/6 campaign ended in failure. The German giants have already signed Fiorentina striker Luca Toni and Borussia Monchengladbach defender Marcell Jansen.
But by beating off several top clubs to sign of Ribery, they have pulled off a major transfer coup which will finally cheer up their fans, who are still in shock at the Bavarians’ fourth-place finish in the Bundesliga. “We are not far from a total agreement with Ribery and Marseille,” announced Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. “It is just a case of agreeing the small details.”
Ribery and Toni are both due in Munich for a medical on Thursday, after which they will both formally sign long-term contracts. Ribery had also been linked with Real Madrid and Arsenal, and was understood to be cold on a move to Germany. However, in the absence of firm offers from Spain or England, it appears Bayern have punched above their weight to land the winger.
Ribery became one of Europe’s hottest properties last summer after a series of eye-catching displays during France’s march into the World Cup final. Zinedine Zidane, who has a close relationship Ribery, had been selling the virtues of the Bernabeu to his former France team-mate before Bayern secured their man.
With Owen Hargreaves’ move to Manchester United swelling the bank balance at the Allianz Arena, it appears Bayern’s summer spending spree is not over yet. Bayern are also looking to tempt former winger Ze Roberto back to the club. The Brazilian is expected to return to Germany after a spell in his homeland with Santos - while the speculation linking Germany frontman Miroslav Klose with Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side continues.
Klose’s contract with Werder Bremen expires next summer, and yesterday the forward moved a step closer to the exit door by fighting with team-mate Torsten Frings. Frings claimed Klose wants to leave Bremen, which drew his team-mate’s wrath on the eve of Germany’s Euro 2008 clash with Slovakia. “Those who really know Torsten will know he changes his opinions like the wind. “When the wind blows in a different direction, he will contradict what he said before,” Klose said.
Frings, who had himself been negotiating with Italian giants Juventus before extending his Bremen contract, commented last weekend that he thought it would would be better for Klose to leave Bremen. “I did not say anything when he was linked with a move to Juventus and I wish he would do pay me the same compliment,” added Klose.
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