Bayern Immoveable

Owen Hargreaves may have set his heart on joining Manchester United and the club may be very keen to sign him, but their hopes of doing so have been dealt a severe blow by the attitude of senior officials at Bayern Munich, which leaves no room whatsoever for misinterpretation.

Club Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has made it clear that since a player can be approached only with the consent of the club which holds his registration (something which Bayern would not allow) United must cease their pursuit of Hargreaves immediately, or risk being reported to FIFA.

As for general manager Uli Hoeness, his latest remarks indicate that he has lost totally patience with the player and is rapidly approaching boiling point: “I can’t understand that after two discussions between us, he is still forcing the issue. He won’t be released under any circumstances. He needs to accept the decisions of those above him and to show some respect.”

The irony is that on another day, that could have been Sir Alex Ferguson talking.