Manchester United Football Club

• Nickname:Red Devils
• Founded:1878
• Manager:Sir Alex Ferguson

• Ground:Old Trafford
• Capacity:68174

United suffer fresh Ribery blow

26 Jun 2009 - 10:19:30

Click To Enlarge

Manchester United's hopes of signing Franck Ribery have been dealt a further blow after Bayern Munich labelled the France star "irreplaceable".

In recent days, United are believed to have slipped behind Real Madrid in the race to sign the 26-year-old winger.

Sir Alex Ferguson had reportedly earmarked the France international as the ideal replacement for Real Madrid-bound Cristiano Ronaldo.

However, Bayern chairman Karl-Heinze Rummenigge has warned the Spanish club - and therefore United - that their prize asset will not be leaving for any price this summer.

Ribery is believed to favour a move to Spain ahead of the Premier League.

"Franck Ribery is irreplaceable," he told L'Equipe. "Real Madrid know our position: he is not for sale.

"That Franck wants to go to Real is not a surprise. It's a fascinating club and attractive on a financial level. But Bayern are not a bad club either.

"At our club the doors are solid and very resistant and we're not going to push up the bidding.

"Ribery figures among the best players of the world. And when you have a player of this quality among the squad you don't separate.

"We want to build around this player who (new coach) Louis van Gaal absolutely wants under his command."