Manchester United set to sign Bastian Schweinsteiger as Bayern Munich midfielder 'agrees three-year deal'
- Bastian Schweinsteiger has agreed a move to Manchester United
- The 30-year-old has accepted a three-year deal worth £7.2m a year
- Schweinsteiger will fly to Manchester for a medical and to sign contract
- Fee still needs to be agreed between the clubs with Bayern wanting £15m
Bastian Schweinsteiger has agreed to join Manchester United in a spectacular coup for manager Louis van Gaal.
It is understood the Germany midfielder's relationship with Van Gaal was a major factor behind his decision to accept United's offer of a contract believed to be worth £7.2m a year over three years, the same as his current deal with Bayern.
According to BILD, the 30-year-old has informed Bayern bosses of his intention to join United and is on standby to fly to Manchester to complete the formalities of a medical and signing the papers.
Bastian Schweinsteiger is closing in on a move to Manchester United, according to reports in Germany
The 30-year-old is close to ending his long association with Bayern Munich to move to Old Trafford
Schweinsteiger was thought to be close to agreeing a new deal at Bayern but now looks set to leave Germany
It is understood Schweinsteiger's relationship with Van Gaal was a major factor behind his decision to move
The German daily also reported that Schweinsteiger did not attend the club's traditional pre-season presentation at the Allianz Arena.
All that remains to be resolved is the fee, with Bayern understood to be looking for upwards of £15million but United viewing that as excessive for a player of his age with just 12 months left on his Allianz Arena deal.
However, after starting out at Bayern as a raw teenager 17 years ago and giving them sterling service in between, the Bundesliga champions will not stand in his way and are ready to negotiate a compromise figure.
United have pursued the vastly experienced midfielder for several weeks, but optimism was beginning to wane after suggestions he would end up accepting Bayern's offer of a new two-year contract.
Schweinsteiger scoring against Manchester United in a Champions League tie at Old Trafford in April 2014
The German celebrates his equaliser in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals in 2014
Schweinsteiger wags his finger at Wayne Rooney after an incident in the tie
It looked even bleaker for United when Bayern chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge put in a personal call on Schweinsteiger's return from holiday earlier this week and stressed his importance to the Munich cause. It placed Schweinsteiger in a quandary, but after 24 hours of agonising over his future, he came down in favour of a fresh start at Old Trafford.
Memories of working in tandem with Van Gaal, during the united manager's spell in charge at Bayern, evidenty figured prominently in his thoughts.
Though there has been no fallout with current Bayern boss Pep Guardiola, Schweinsteiger apparently suspects the former Barcelona coach might opt for Thiago Alcantara ahead of him for a starting place this coming season.
The Bayern Munich midfielder would bring a wealth of experience to Old Trafford and is a World Cup winner
The German midfielder pictured at Wimbledon recently watching his girlfriend Ana Ivanovic
Schweinsteiger was all smiles on his visit to the Wimbledon Championships at the beginning of the month
With that in mind, and the prospect of linking up again with Van Gaal representing an exciting last challenge in the twilight of his career, he broke the news to Bayern that he was Old Trafford bound.
Earlier on Friday, Manchester United were busy unveiling another new signing in £25m forward Memphis Depay.
Depay will join his new team-mates on pre-season tour of America on Monday and hopes to hit the ground running.
'I think I can score goals here, for sure,' the Dutch international added. 'I will work on that and I believe in that.
'I am excited about coming here to do my job and score goals. I am a striker so I have to score goals.'
And Van Gaal also confirmed Italian right back Matteo Darmian was on his way for a medical ahead of his move to Old Trafford from Torino.
Memphis Depay was unveiled by Manchester United with manager Van Gaal at Old Trafford on Friday
Depay joined United at the end of last season but was unveiled on Friday ahead of the club's pre-season tour
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