Bayern insist that Hargreaves is staying put

The Owen Hargreaves saga continued yesterday when the Bayern Munich coach Felix Magath said he does not expect the Manchester United target to leave during the transfer window.

The England international said last week that United had tabled a bid of nearly £20m for him as their long-running pursuit gathers pace. However, when asked if he expected any arrivals or departures before the 31 January deadline, Magath said, "No, I'm assuming we'll go in pursuit of our targets - retaining the league championship and performing well in the Champions' League - with the squad we have at the moment."

Hargreaves is suffering from a minor injury incurred while recovering from a broken leg sustained four months ago as Bayern prepare to resume against Borussia Dortmund at the weekend after the Bundesliga's winter break.

Magath said: "We cannot get by with any fewer midfielders. We don't need any more mishaps. We have no need to panic buy just to fill up our squad because the transfer market is hardly overflowing with classy alternatives."

Hargreaves could return against Dortmund, Magath said: "We'll have to wait and see with Owen. He is still behind in terms of fitness after his long lay-off, so it could be tight."

l Milan have signed Italy defender Massimo Oddo from Lazio. The 30-year-old was sold in a deal worth €7.75m (£5.08m) plus the permanent transfer of loaned Milan midfielder Pasquale Foggia to Lazio.