On the market: Bayern Munich star Franck
Ribery
Bayern Munich's new president Uli Hoeness is ready to
cash in on Chelsea target Franck
Ribery if the France star does not sign a new contract in the next
few weeks.
The Bundesliga club
resisted all bids for the 26-year-old last summer, but Hoeness now
concedes that Ribery will be sold if his contract to 2011 is not
extended by the spring.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is ready to sanction a £45million
move, while Real Madrid, Manchester United, City and Barcelona will also be alerted by the
admission that this season could be Ribery's last at the Allianz
Arena.
'If Ribery doesn't renew his deal in the spring, it would be
fiscally irresponsible to keep him, as he's out of contract in
2011,' said Hoeness, who replaced Franz Beckenbauer as Bayern
president last month. 'We'd just be giving away €50-60m
(aproximately £45-55m) in that case.'
Ribery has missed much of the season with a knee injury, which
may deter attempts to sign him in January, but his days in Germany
appear to be numbered.