After sensationally attracting Jürgen Klinsmann to succeed Ottmar Hitzfeld as head coach at the end of this season, Bayern have now pulled off a coup in the transfer market with the signing of Germany international Tim Borowski from Werder Bremen. The midfielder has agreed a three-year deal with Munich and will join the club on a free transfer from 1 July 2008.
“We’ve reached agreement with Tim Borowski’s management,” FCB general manager Uli Hoeneß confirmed on Monday. Speaking from the club’s Marbella training base, Hoeneß said the parties had struck a verbal deal for the time being. “The contracts will be drawn up and signed over the next few weeks.“ Bayern had been monitoring the 27-year-old midfielder for some time, Hoeneß revealed. “The chance to sign him on a free transfer certainly appealed to us. That’s not something that happens every day with internationals.“
Deal welcomed by dressing room
Borowski will be the seventh current German international in the Munich squad alongside Miroslav Klose, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm, Lukas Podolski, Marcell Jansen and Jan Schlaudraff. “Signing internationals is always a plus. Tim is a very, very good and likeable player,” Lahm commented.
“Tim Borowski is a good, intelligent player with plenty of attacking strength. He scores goals and he’ll take us forward. It’s a good decision by the club,” defender Daniel van Buyten added.
No Klinsmann effect
Hoeneß rejected media speculation suggesting that future Bayern boss Jürgen Klinsmann had a hand in recruiting one of his 2006 World Cup squad players. “It’s a coincidence. As you can imagine, you don’t start organising this kind of transfer on a Friday and finalise it by Sunday,” the official stated. However, Klinsmann had welcomed the transfer “and thinks it’s a good deal.“
“It has nothing to do with Klinsmann’s arrival. I’d already reached my decision,” Borowski himself declared, speaking from Bremen’s training camp in Belek, Turkey, on Monday. However, the midfielder welcomed the opportunity to work under his former national coach: “Obviously, Klinsmann taking over at Bayern is good news for me.“
Star of the World Cup
Borowski’s international reputation was largely forged during Klinsmann’s two-year spell in charge of his country. Widely regarded as Germany skipper Michael Ballack’s natural understudy, Borowski deputised for the former Bayern man in Germany’s 4-2 win over Costa Rica in the World Cup opening match, converted a penalty in the shoot-out against Argentina at the quarter-final stage, and started the semi-final which Germany ultimately lost to Italy in extra time.
Borowski was accepted into the Werder Bremen youth academy from 1. FC Neubrandenburg in 1996, signing professional forms at the Bundesliga club in 2001. He has scored 21 goals in 157 Bundesliga appearances to date, also winning 31 Germany caps and scoring twice for his country.
www.fcbayern.t-com.de