CSILASVEGAS

do you think $40,000,000 for 4 years is too much????

MUNICH, June 7 (Reuters)

Free spending Bayern Munich completed the signing of France midfielder Franck Ribery from Olympique Marseille on Thursday after agreeing a fee that could rise to 30 million euros ($40.50 million).

Ribery, 24, passed a medical in Munich on Thursday before signing a four-year contract with the 20-times German champions on the same day they presented Italian striker Luca Toni.

"After a difficult season we're lucky to be able to sign two such world class players," Bayern manager Uli Hoeness told reporters in Munich.

Ribery will wear the number seven shirt, while Toni will take the number nine, Hoeness added.

Bayern will have to pay a 26 million euro transfer fee and then an additional 4 million if the German club qualify for the Champions League at the end of next season, French sources close to the matter said.

It takes Bayern's spending for the new season to around 60 million euros as they rebuild after finishing only fourth in the Bundesliga, missing out on a place in the Champions League.

As well as the World Cup winner Toni (11 million euros), Bayern have signed Germany left-back Marcell Jansen (10 million), Argentine midfielder Jose Ernesto Sosa (10 million), Germany forward Jan Schlaudraff (one million) and Turkish midfielder Hamit Altintop (free).

Adding Ribery to the squad is quite a coup for Bayern, after other leading European clubs, including Arsenal and Real Madrid, had also expressed an interest in him.

Ribery joined Marseille in 2005. One of the revelations of last year's World Cup, he has played 18 matches for France, scoring twice.

"We have helped Franck to get where he is today and we are not really happy to let him go," Olympique Marseille chairman Pape Diouf told the club's Web site (www.om.net).

"It's a good financial operation for the club, which proves Marseille can adapt to a market that is not easy."

Ribery may not be the last signing at Bayern before the new season. The Bavarians also want to bring in Miroslav Klose, although they may have to wait until 2008, when his contract is up, if they cannot agree a fee for the Germany striker with his current club, Werder Bremen.

The signing of Ribery has been financed by the sale of England midfielder Owen Hargreaves to Manchester United for a reported fee of 25 million euros.

Claudio Pizarro has left to join Chelsea on a free transfer, Hasan Salihamidzic is joining Juventus and Ali Karimi has been told he can leave.

T.Shock

Well this is what happens when you don't make the Champions League. Both signings have been good, but 30 mil is a lot for Ribery.

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gian

If all goes well, it's a good investment. They're set in the right wing for the next seven to eight years. Give it a few weeks and they'll have Klose in there. Scary *** German team.

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MonkeyBallZJr

Next time please post and discuss this in the transfer thread, thanks.

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Zalgirinis

Marseille makes it to Champions League for next season and Bayern will play in UEFA Cup. Not the best move in my eyes by Ribery.

sadam

Why not? Bayern is better club than Marseille, don't you think so? IMO this is a step forward in his career. Bayern needs to get stronger this year, but more than everything they need a real leader in their squad (remember Effenberg was some years ago).

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gian

With Luca Toni, Miroslav Klose and Franck Ribery coming in, they will be back in the Champion's League the next season and they will definitely challenge for it as Podolski, Schweinsteiger, Ribery and all the other youngsters will have matured, including the new goalkeeper.

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