A few years back, an injury-free Franck Ribery was among the best attacking players in the world.
In the peak of his powers, the Frenchman was devastating and regularly tormented opposition players for Bayern.
Back in 2008, Ribery was a man in demand and Chelsea were keen on bringing him to the Premier League and adding him to their already talented squad.
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Bayern chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge spoke about how desperate Chelsea were to land Ribery nine years ago, but it was a rather strange offer that Bayern received for their top player.
The former striker, who scored over 200 goals for Bayern, recalled the time that Chelsea offer a massive 65m euros to try and snap up Ribery, but they also wanted to include the sale of right-back Jose Bosingwa as part of the deal.
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In all fairness, if you try and give Jose Bosingwa to Bayern Munich, they are most likely going to turn it down. You'd think they'd probably prefer the money on its own.
However, it turns out that Bayern had been chasing the Portuguese defender for quite some time.
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Anyway, Rummenigge called the offer for Ribery "almost unbelievable" but went on to say the fact that Bayern held firm and did not sell him was a turning point for the club.
Speaking to German outlet Bild, he said:
"The offer we had for Franck Ribery in 2008 was almost unbelievable.
"The decision not to sell Franck Ribery nevertheless was a milestone in the development of FC Bayern. That was the moment when FC Bayern got to be a 'buying club'."
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However, Ribery has said that Chelsea were not the only club who were interested in signing him, as a number of the elite clubs in Europe were keen on snapping him up.
Speaking to Kicker, he said:
"Of course I thought about a move. In 2008 or 2009, every big club wanted me: Juventus, Inter, Milan, Barca, Real, Chelsea, Manchester [United].
"In hindsight, I have to thank Uli Hoeness and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge for speaking regularly to me back then. I've now been here for 10 years and have won everything. My family is doing well and I am happy."
Image: PA
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The 33-year old says he no longer thinks about a move to another top team in Europe as Bayern will be his last club in the continent. The Frenchman has ambitions to be part of the coaching set-up in Bavaria.
"I have always said Bayern are my last club in Europe. I will play until my knee, my ankle or my back say 'stop'. If I remain free of injury, I might still have two or three more years at the top level.
"I have a really good relationship with Bayern. I might become a coach after retirement, but with the youth teams."
(h/t Daily Mail)
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Franck Ribery, Germany, Bayern Munich, France, Bundesliga