Bayern sign Iran ace

Bayern Munich have announced the signing of Iran international Ali Karimi.

The Iran international will join on a free transfer from United Arab Emirates outfit Al-Ahli Dubai in the summer, and he has penned a one-year deal at the Olympia Stadion with an option for a further year.

The 26-year-old midfielder has scored an impressive 32 goals in 87 appearances for Iran, and Bayern boss Felix Magath has expressed his delight at securing the signing.

"Ali Karimi is a quick, agile and dangerous attacker," said Magath.

"He is Asia's Footballer of the Year and so is of great interest to us, I'm delighted that I'll have Ali Karimi in my squad next year."

Karimi becomes the third Iranian to try his luck with the German giants, after Ali Daei joined during the 1998/9 season and Vahid Hashemian made the move last summer.

Meanwhile Hashemian, along with team-mates Thomas Linke and Jens Jeremies, has been linked to a move to ambitious Austrian outfit Salzburg.

Bayern president Franz Beckenbauer is acting as an advisor to new Salzburg owner Dietrich Mateschitz, an appointment believed to be paving the way for the potential transfers.

However Salzburg, recently taken over by the Red Bull boss and looking to build a formidable squad, denied that any deals had been done for the trio.

"This is all speculation, we will not comment on that at the moment, we will only be saying something when any transfers have been finalised," said club spokesperson Tina Sponer.