More Ballacks - German Offered Captaincy?

MUFC captain?
By Chris O'Brien
November 17 2005

The Michael Ballack transfer debacle continues to rumble on with the 29-year-old looking set to leave Bayern Munich in the New Year. If you believe the press, Sir Alex Ferguson is set to offer the German international the MUFC captaincy.

The Michael Ballack saga rumbles on with rumours now suggesting Sir Alex Ferguson will offer the German the captain’s armband in a move to entice the midfielder to Old Trafford.

As ManUtdWeb previously reported, Bayern Munich have withdrawn a contract offer for Ballack who now looks certain to leave the Bundesliga during the January transfer window.

United, desperate to add some spark back into their midfield, are desperate to bring the 29-year-old to Lancashire but face fierce competition from the likes of AC Milan and Real Madrid for the player’s signature.

Ballack is giving very little away and insists there is still a chance of him staying in Munich despite his contract ending in May 2006; "Foreign clubs can speak to me as of January. It would be a dream for me to play abroad but I can just as easily see myself staying at Bayern."

Despite these comments, a transfer looks extremely likely. Bayern supporters grew restless of Ballack’s indecision and put it down to a lack of loyalty from a player who has spent the best days of his career at the Olympiapark Stadium.

A move to United could perhaps be in the best interests of Ballack. Supporters and pundits alike are clear that the ‘stalwarts’ of the MUFC side no longer have the ability to help the team perform at the top of the Premiership, and the pace of the game in the Premier League could favour the player’s strengths.
In contrast, at Real Madrid he will face tough competition from the likes of David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane and Thomas Gravesen for first-team football alone.

Expect plenty more twists and turns from this one.