U-turn: Ribery has decided to stay with German
giants Bayern Munich
Franck Ribery is understood to have agreed a new
mega-contract at Bayern Munich, closing the door on a move
to Chelsea
or Manchester
United.
Sources say the France winger will pen an agreement through to
2015 shortly after Saturday's Champions League final - worth an
incredible £130,000 a week after tax.
The 26-year-old had insisted his decision would not be
motivated by money, but Bayern pulled out the stops to make him by
far the best-paid player in Bundesliga history.
Chelsea were keen to take Ribery to Stamford Bridge,
while a link with United had resurfaced in recent days, but the
Barclays Premier League duo were fighting the battle of his wife
Wahiba preferring a move to Spain.
Interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona cooled after a scandal
in which Ribery was accused of paying for sex and it is said that
the former Marseille player had grown tired of waiting for renewed
interest from Iberia.
Madrid have instead turned their attention to Benfica's Angel di
Maria - a target for Manchester United - with sources in Argentina
insisting an agreement to take him to the Bernabeu is already
agreed in principle.
Happy family: Ribery with wife Wahiba
Centre of attention: Ribery celebrates winning the
German Cup with Bayern
With just a year left on his current deal, Bayern would
have sold Ribery this summer if contract talks had been
unsuccessful.
However, they profited from the support they showed him during
the recent scandal, while winning the German League, Cup and
reaching the Champions League final has shown they can be major
players in world football.
He will miss the clash against Inter Milan at the Bernabeu
because of suspension and has been training with France's World Cup
squad, has been given permission to attend the game.
His agents Alain Migliaccio and Jean-Pierre Bernes both spotted
in the club's Madrid hotel and TV reports in Germany say Ribery
will make an announcement from the balcony of Munich town hall on
Sunday when the team parade their silverware this season after a
procession from the Allianz Arena.
