by GIANFRANCO PANIZO
Interest in Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery is heating up as three of this year's UEFA Champions League semifinalists have made offers for the French international.
Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge came out Tuesday and revealed that Chelsea, Manchester United and Champions League winners Barcelona have all made bids for Ribery.
Despite the recent additions of superstars Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo, Spanish heavyweights Real Madrid have also expressed an interest in Ribery, although no offer has been made yet.
Yet even with multiple deals on the table, Rummenigge has stated that Bayern want to hold on to Ribery, at least for another season.
Rummenigge told Soccernet.com: "There is always going to be the perception that Bayern Munich are trying to push the price up and that there is a certain value at which we'll have to accept, but I'll say it again: we want to keep Ribery."
Ribery scored nine goals and tallied eight assists in 25 Bundesliga appearances this season.
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Manchester United target Villa
Manchester have set their sights on trying to sign Valencia striker David Villa as they look for a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is reportedly willing to spend the majority of Cristiano Ronaldo's 80 million euros ($121 million) transfer fee on the Spanish striker, a move that is sure to break the British transfer record set by Robinho last summer. That may not be enough though as recent rumors have linked Villa with a move to Real Madrid to join Ronaldo and Kaka.
Villa, currently on international duty, capped the scoring in Spain's 5-0 route of New Zealand in their Confederations Cup opener on June 14.
AC Milan sign Cissokho
AC Milan have signed left back Aly Cissokho from Porto for reportedly £15 million ($21.1 million).
Cissokho's transfer to Milan is the club's first acquisition of the summer. Earlier this month Milan sold playmaker Kaka to Real Madrid for a then-world record transfer fee.
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Where do you think Ribery will end up at? Think Villa can compensate for Cristiano Ronaldo's goal-scoring ways? Do you see Cissokho adjusting well to the Italian style of play?
Share your thoughts below.
HI I WANT MANCHESTER UNITED TO SIGN BENZEMA,DAVID VILLA,RIBERY, DAVID SILVA,TORRES,VAN PERSIE,THIS SUMMER I HOPE THAT WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR MANCHESTER UNITED THIS SUMMER………..
Yeah, all those French speakers might be a draw for him. He wants to be sure that Drogba understands him when he shouts “STOP DIVING YOU TOSSER!”
Has anyone considered that Chelsea has 2 Frenchmen (Anelka & Malouda) and 2 others whose native tongue is French (Drogba & Kalou)? Could this give Chelsea any kind of boost in trying to sign Ribery?
Ribery may be ugly, but dude has a dueling scar on his right cheek. That’s kinda bad @ss. (and I know that’s not how he got the scars)
Michael – hilarious photo caption.
can this guy afford some caps for his teeth damn!
whats the news on Owen Hargreaves? they needed him bad this year.
As a casual United fan (how pumped can i be supporting a team 3k miles away?) id rather see them spend that cash on Ribery than Villa.
@HM
So you’d give up the 3 dutchies and cash for Ribery? I think that is overkill. Though Sneijder and VDV didn’t have the best season last year, they are still amongst the best players in the world. Maybe one of those guys and cash for Ribery would make sense.
God, you’d think with the money he makes he could get his teeth fixed
Does this mean Donovan gets a second look?
———-
Only North Americans are obsessed with perfect teeth.
Dirk Kuty = Sloth from The Goonies
And if Villa goes to ManU, I’m going to puke. I don’t know if I can handle my favorite player from one of my favorite teams going to the team I hate the most. Honestly, it’s the freaking icing on the cake if ManU signs him and forces me to start hating David Villa.
WTF with “not homo” comments? Get over the homophobia. I mean, you are posting anonymously on a website.
On another note, did I miss something? @Isaac: Is Casillas at Barca now? I mean, I’m not gay or anything…
Ribery will end up at Manchester United. There is no way that David Villa is going to England. Man U also need someone to play in the middle of the park, because if their humiliation in the Champions League final proved anything, it’s that they do not have anyone in center midfield.
Ives should have a “write the caption” contest for this picture. I will throw mine in right now:
“bayyy-beeee rooooooooth”
Antonio Cassano is ugly
The guy needs one of those cute LandyCakes hummingbird tatoos
Speaking of transfers, did everyone see that Real Madrid needed not one, but TWO multimillion Euro bank loans in order to sign Kaka and Ronaldo?
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/soccer/06/16/real.madrid.ap/index.html
They might even get a Champion’s League title out of it, but Perez is going to run that club into the ground.
where will jozy be next season? anyone knw
No homo,but Messi isnt ugly and Kljestan is a good looking guy.
Ribery will end up at Real Madrid, because they have the parts to conduct a trade-plus-cash transfer.
While their Dutch players had mixed results in Spain, most of those guys are tailor made for the Bundesliga.
Huntelaar, Sneijder, van der Vaart and a small amount of cash will trump the cash only offers from Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United. This gives Bayern the third striker they’ve been looking for (Huntelaar), a replacement for Ribery (Sneijder) and a replacement for Ze Roberto (van der Vaart) plus cash.
Carlos Tevez
I nominate Christian Ziege. But he’s long retired.
How does a 26 year old look like a 46 year old?
jeff agoos was just plain hard to look at and hedjuk looks like he’s two steps behind in the evolutionary tree.
isaac,
who plays defense in that midfield of yours?
just curious,
pep guardiola
Yes indeed, Franck, get those teeth fixed…jeebus, that pic is horrible.
I’m not gay or anything but Messi looks alright to me.
Ronaldinho
I think England is the perfect place for someone with Ribery’s teeth.
Dirk Kuyt
Oops! Forgot to add Kljestian to that crew above. Any others I’m leaving out?
Who’s the world’s ugliest footballer?
Ribery?
Messi?
Tevez?
We always hear about the glamor boys like Beckham, Ljunberg, Ronaldo, but what about the other end? What about the ugly footballers?
Ives, it’s time for a new poll: “World’s Ugliest Footballer”
Ribery and Villa are headed for Birmingham. I hear they plan to spend big so they don’t relegated again. They’ve put together a financial syndicate composed of Enron, AIG and those banks in Iceland to pay for it all….oh wait…that’s not going to work.
God, you’d think with the money he makes he could get his teeth fixed
Does this mean Donovan gets a second look?
Yeah…and another thing about Rossi…
I kid…I kid…
Ribery to Man U Baby!!
Convinced that when Bayern had Oliver Kahn, Ribery, & Willy Sagnol they had the 3 ugliest men all together on the same team.
Manchester United would do well to unload Berbatov to the highest bidder asap. They will take a multi-million pound loss but he does not fit there. He is a guy who needs to be the target of every attack, and United’s attack is the epitome of team-oriented play.
It will also slightly cushion any of the big-money purchases they need to make. I’m sure City would take Berbatov in a heartbeat and not flinch at the price.
——————-Eto’o——————-
Ribery————-Henry————–Messi
—————Xavi—–Iniesta————
Abidal——-Marquez—-Puyol——-D.Alves
——————-Casillas—————-
Nice.
There are people who complain about photos that you display, Ives, and I’ve never wanted to be one of those guys, but today, I join them arm and arm.
Please find another photo of Ribery. Man, those are bad teeth.
He’ll fit in well with the pretty people of Manchester.