BAYERN Munich sporting director Christian Nerlinger believes the club can convince Franck Ribery to stay by matching his lofty ambition.
Ribery has made no secret of his desire to play for the likes of Real Madrid or Barcelona while Chelsea and Manchester United are also tracking the Frenchman, who Bayern claim is one of the best three players in the world at present.
However, form
er Rangers midfielder Nerlinger is convinced he can help build a team around Ribery – one he can be proud of and which will not only convince him to fulfil the remaining two years of his contract, but to stay on even longer.
"We have got to provide Franck with the perspective of being on the same level as Europe's elite," he said. "That is what he wants and then he will be happy in Munich."
Bayern have already splashed out in the transfer market this summer, giving new coach Louis van Gaal several new players to work with next season, including 30million euro striker Mario Gomez and former Zenit St Petersburg midfielder Anatoliy Tymoschuk. Yet Nerlinger has not ruled out spending even more to ensure Bayern can challenge in the Champions League as well as the Bundesliga.
"In the mid-term, we will have very, very positive conditions here," he added in the Bild am Sonntag newspaper. "We have got to offer him (Ribery] a top European club."
Ribery will report back for pre-season training with Bayern on Wednesday, barring a last-minute change of heart by the Bavarian club's management as Real maintain their interest in the 26-year-old.
A sale is still possible until the end of August, though, and Bayern may well change their minds if they get the impression Ribery is no longer committed to their club. The attitude of the player himself will be decisive.
