Ribery keen for Barca move: Van Bommel

Bayern Munich’s French midfielder Franck Ribery has been told by his own captain that he should join Barcelona next season.

“Franck wants to play for Barcelona,” Bayern skipper Mark van Bommel told RAC-1 radio on Monday in comments that will hardly go down well with the Bayern board, who are desperate to hold on to their prize asset.

“More than that, I think it would be a good thing if Barca buys him, he would adapt easily,” said the Dutchman, who played for Barcelona in 2005-06.

“He is the best (player) in Germany, he is very powerful and very technical,” said van Bommel.

His comments came two days ahead of the return leg of the Champions League quarter-final between Bayern and Barcelona.

The Catalan club won the first leg 4-0 in Spain last Wednesday and Barcelona president Joan Laporta praised Ribery after the match.

“We saw that he was a very fast player and who causes upsets,” he said. “We have spoken (with the managers of Barcelona) about all the good players and Bayern knows that we want as we know what they want.”

Bayern has insisted for some months that Ribery is not for sale.