Rumours surround violet striker

According to recent reports, Bayern Munich may be on the verge ofsigning Fiorentina striker Luca Toni. Rumour has it that the club has agreed ona 18 million euro fee for Toni, whose contract would guarantee him 5.5 millioneuro per season during a five-year contract. This deal would make him theclub’s highest-paid player. Toni’s agent Tullio Tinti, however, refused toconfirm that a deal was imminent, saying, ‘Reports of a contract agreement withBayern Munich are unfounded’. The World Cup–winning striker is one of thecontinent’s most prolific strikers, with 61 goals scored in his last two fullSerie A seasons. His contributions have helped push Fiorentina into a UEFA Cupposition in Serie A, despite the team’s 15-point match-fixing penalty.

Bayern had adisastrous season and is likely to miss out on Champions League football nextterm. General manager Uli Hoeness has recently promised sweeping changes andsources say that the Fiorentina may be willing to sell its prize asset. Toniwill be 30 in May and, with the Viola’s young Giampaolo Pazzini lookingpromising, the club may decide to cash in on its violet star. The Italian dailyGazzetta dello Sport, however, claims that Fiorentina coach CesarePrandelli has agreed on a contract extension tying Toni to the Tuscan clubuntil 2011.