Kuffour looks to Arsenal

Arsene Wenger may be short of funds, and indeed said yesterday that he expects to make no more signings this summer, but a tempting transfer prospect presented itself yesterday when Sammy Kuffour, Bayern Munich's commanding central defender, professed a desire to play for Arsenal.

The Ghanaian international's wife has family in England and Kuffour, 26, said in an interview with African Soccer: "I would like to play for Arsenal. I like the way they play. They play as a team and all fight for each other. We played at Highbury and the fans were incredible.''

The news is sure to intrigue Wenger, who is still to find a long-term partner for Sol Campbell. With Martin Keown, 37, Wenger has tried a series of putative successors but Igor Stepanovs, Oleg Luzhny and Pascal Cygan have all been found wanting and Matthew Upson deemed inadequate.

While Bayern will be loth to let Kuffour leave, Bundesliga clubs, even Bayern, lack the financial resources of England and are still suffering the repercussions of the collapse of the Kirsch Media empire which underwrote their television income.