|
fcbayern - Bayern have announced their first
confirmed signing ahead of the 2005-6 campaign, 26 year-old Iran
international Ali Karimi from United Arab Emirates outfit Al-Ahli Dubai. The
attacking midfielder has put his name to a one-year deal with an option for
both parties on a further year. No transfer fee is involved as the player is
out of contract in Dubai at the end of this season.
"Ali Karimi is a pacy, dynamic and dangerous attacking player," Felix Magath
explained. "He's the Asian player of the year and as such an interesting
candidate for Bayern. I'm delighted I'll have Ali Karimi in my squad for the
new season."
Karimi is the second new face at the club alongside Philipp Lahm, who
returns from a two-year loan spell in Stuttgart. Karimi finished leading
scorer at the Asian championship last year in China and will be the third
Iran international to pull on a Munich shirt: Vahid Hashemian joined the
club last summer, while striker Ali Daei appeared for the Bavarians in the
1998-99 season.
The 1.79 metre/5 ft 10 in newcomer favours a forward midfield berth but can
also play as an out-and-out striker. He has scored 32 goals in 87
international appearances to date, turning in an impressive appearance when
Germany visited Teheran and ran up a 2-0 victory last October.
The freshly-crowned German champions are expected to make one or two further
signings in the close season, with the highest priority assigned to a
central defender, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed on Monday evening. "One
thing is certain: Robert Kovac is leaving us," the chairman stated, "and I
think Sammy [Kuffour] is likely to move on as well." Media reports also
suggest another central defender, namely Thomas Linke, is close to signing a
deal with Austria Salzburg as he is out of contract in Bavaria.
"We need a top-quality individual to go alongside Lucio," Rummenigge said.
"We need a pacy, aggressive tackler who is also good in the air." The
chairman was concerned about certain moments during the current campaign,
"because we haven't lost many times, but it was usually from set pieces,
where we often didn't look too good in the air."
Rummenigge further indicated the club's desire to hand more opportunities to
talented products of its own youth system, a philosophy fully supported by
coach Felix Magath. "We sat down with Felix recently to talk about the
playing staff, and he reckons we need a squad of 22 or 23, because he wants
to give some of the ambitious and hungry young players in our youth section
a decent chance."
Making more of the club's carefully-nurtured young talent clearly makes
enormous financial sense as well, and the board is likely to back the coach
all the way. "I'm delighted when a coach doesn't just come to me and ask for
stars, but values our youth development work instead. We'll be as patient as
we need to be," the chairman promised.
|
