Hargreaves set to stay at Bayern

Owen Hargreaves is ready to shun the overtures of his England team-mates and commit his future to Bayern Munich.

The 21-year-old has said he has been sounded out by members of the England squad with a view to switching the Bundesliga for the Premiership. But the Canadian-born midfielder, who qualifies to play for England because his father was born in Bolton, has some bad news for would-be suitors – he is happy at Bayern and believes a move to England would be a step down.

In an interview with the German sports magazine Sportbild, Hargreaves said: "I've talked to many players. They tell me nice things about their clubs. Many players have contacted me on this issue, saying I should play in England, so that the English fans and the coaches could watch me play.

"That would be the only way to keep a starting spot on the national team. But why should I swap sides? Bayern Munich are the best club in the world. Much better than every good club in England."

Despite revealing his contentment at the Olympiastadion, Hargreaves is not about to sell himself short in Munich. Bild report that one of the player's agents has met with the Bayern officials to discuss a possible contract extension that would tie him to the club until 2008. But Hargreaves, whose current deal runs out on June 30, 2004, said there is still some way to go before an agreement is reached.

"There are a lot of things to talk about. If I extend my contract over four more years, you have to give it a lot of thought. It's my future."

Hargreaves helped Bayern win the Champions' League in 2001 and, despite his career in Germany, made his England debut against the Netherlands last year. His contribution to England's World Cup campaign in Japan and South Korea ended when he was injured in the 1-0 defeat of Argentina.

* The United States international defender Frankie Hejduk has joined St Gallen on a free transfer from the German side Bayer Leverkusen.