Bayern´s Toni drops Barcelona hint

Bayern Munich striker Luca Toni on Wednesday revealed European champions Barcelona are interested in signing him.

World Cup-winner Toni, 32, struggled to hit the back of the net last season with 14 goals after being the Bundesliga’s top-scorer the year before on his debut season in Munich with 24 having joined from Fiorentina in 2007.

Bayern have already signed Germany striker Mario Gomez from Stuttgart and Croatia’s Ivica Olic from Hamburg this summer.

The pair will compete with Toni and Germany’s Miroslav Klose – the top-scorer at the last World Cup – for the two available first-team places under new coach Louis van Gaal.

But Toni told Italian sports paper Gazzetta dello sport that Barcelona have contacted him and with the World Cup less than a year away, he insisted he must play first-team football.

“Barca has the strongest team in the world and it is an honour they contacted me,” said Toni, who has a contract until 2011.

“My contract is still running, but Mario Gomez will arrive from Stuttgart now, he is very good and four strikers in the squad is a lot.

“I do not know whether I will remain here and I need to talk to Bayern.

“There is a World Cup next year and I need to play first-team football wherever I am.”