Bayern Munich have admitted for the first time that they could
sell Owen Hargreaves to Manchester United.
The German giants fought tooth-and-nail to keep the England
international in the summer after his displays at the World Cup
convinced Sir Alex Ferguson of his quality.
Bayern have always maintained they are desperate to keep hold of
Hargreaves and chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge insisted as much last
week.
However general manager Uli Hoeness has now admitted that if a
replacement can be sought, then the German champions could be
convinced into selling the tenacious midfielder.
"If ever we found a replacement for Owen, who cost less than we'd
get for him, we might be prepared to think about it," said Hoeness
in The Sun.
However United are likely to be frustrated in any attempt to
recruit Hargreaves in the winter as Bayern need all their star men
as they look to progress in the UEFA Champions League.
"We face Real Madrid in the Champions League so we're not about to
weaken our team," Hoeness added. "We're not a bank, we're a
football club.
"Our priority is to strengthen the team and we need Hargreaves for
that."