Luca to Link Up With Zola – According to Toni’s agent.

Sports News - January 31, 2009

Gianfranco Zola’s search for a new striker was boosted today with the comments made by agent of Bayern Munich and Italian forward Luca Toni. Zola has been in market for a new striker since the departures of both David Di Michele, who returned to Torino after his loan spell came to an end and Diego Tristan who left on a free transfer to sign for Cadiz of the Spanish Segunda Division. Questions over Dean Ashton’s fitness have been well documented and have pushed Zola into the market for a top quality striker to lead the line with Carlton Cole.

Bayern Munich earlier in the week had played down any deal involving Toni linking up with his good friends Gianfranco Zola and Gianluca Nani, who brought Toni through the ranks at former club Brescia. The official line that came out of Munich was that of Christian Nerlinger, the director of sport at the Allianz Arena, who stated in the Muenchener Merkur “There is no bid regarding Luca Toni. And we are not really considering his future”.

However Toni’s representative Jose Alberti, has claimed today that he believes a deal will be struck between West Ham and Bayern for Toni to arrive at Upton Park. “I think it will happen. At Bayern he is not playing and Zola is a great friend of his”. Talk of Toni not being in new boss Louis Van Gaal’s plans for the new season have been rife and with the 2010 World Cup only a year away, first team football is very important to the Italian who is still an integral player of the national team. If any deal does goes through Zola would acquire a much needed striker with a proven track record. Toni has scored 57 times in 81 appearances for Bayern Munich in two years at the German giants and finished the Bundesliga’s top goalscorer in the 2007/08 season.

This move has been mooted for some time now; nevertheless Jose Alberti’s comments today will come as a massive boost to Zola, who is desperate to recruit some players before West Ham open the season away at newly promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers.

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