Kuffour desperate for Barcelona switch

Ghana defender Samuel Kuffour has admitted that he would love to play for Barcelona, and has pleaded with his club Bayern Munich to reconsider their decision to turn down the Spanish club’s bid for him.

"Bayern told me from the very beginning about Barcelona?s interest in signing me and I have asked them to think about it carefully and consider the possibility," explained Kuffour, who is training in Marbella with the rest of the Bayern squad.

The Ghanaian is contracted to the Bundesliga club until 2003, and they are very reluctant to let him go. "Barcelona offered us over ?9 million for Kuffour, but we didn't even think about it for five seconds," Bayern vice-president Karl-Heinz Rumenigge said.

"I arrived at Germany when I was very young and I didn?t cost too much," Kuffour protested. "I am very happy in Munich but I have a special relationship with Barcelona. I have a lot of good memories from the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992."

Kuffour joined Bayern's youth team when he turned 17 in 1993. Under respected amateur coach Hermann Gerland, Kuffour made his first appearance in Bayern's reserve team and followed that with his debut in the Bundesliga.

He then played 12 games for Gerland's new club Nuremberg, but was unable to help them avoid relegation before rejoining Bayern.