Bayern swoop for Iran star Karimi

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.