Hargreaves not for sale, say Bayern

German champions Bayern Munich reiterated yesterday that they would not sell Owen Hargreaves after the England midfielder was quoted as saying he was mulling an offer from Manchester United.

"Hargreaves is not a subject of discussion," said Bayern manager Uli Hoeness. "Owen has a contract until 2010 and he will complete it. That means the issue is closed."

Canadian-born Hargreaves, 25, was quoted as saying yesterday by German magazine Sport Bild that there had been an offer from Manchester United and it was "simply fantastic".

"It's interesting for me especially as an England player and you never know whether the opportunity will come along again," he said.

Hargreaves, voted England's best player at the World Cup finals, in a poll by the Football Association.

He has been at Bayern since joining the club as a teenager in 1997 and his current contract runs through June 2010.

Sport Bild said without naming the source that Manchester United would offer as much as 25 million euros ($32 million) for Hargreaves and that English clubs Arsenal and Tottenham were also interested.

"To play (for Manchester United) is a great opportunity and I would be happy if I got that chance," Sport Bild quoted the player as saying.