Bayern confirm Owen transfer
20 May 2007 - 13:32:50
England midfielder Owen Hargreaves will leave Bayern Munich to sign for Manchester United in a £17million transfer, the German club's president Franz Beckenbauer has confirmed.
United have finally landed Hargreaves almost 12 months after Sir Alex Ferguson first revealed his interest in signing the tenacious midfielder.
Beckenbauer confirmed the news when speaking on German television following the end of the Bundesliga season on Saturday.
The 26-year-old will put pen to paper on a four-year deal with the Premiership champions after Bayern reluctantly agreed to Hargreaves' wish to move to England following seven years in the Bundesliga.
"Owen Hargreaves will go," confirmed Beckenbauer. "It's also the wish of the player."
The transfer fee will be a club record for Bayern, who finished their domestic season with a 5-2 victory over Mainz on Saturday .
Hargreaves, who was voted England's player of the year following his impressive displays in last summer's disappointing World Cup campaign, missed the match with a knee injury.
He refused to comment on the speculation after the match, but Beckenbauer revealed that the deal was close to being completed.