Bayern Munich completed the transfer of Arjen Robben from Real Madrid, and the Netherlands winger could make his Bundesliga debut on Saturday against defending champion Wolfsburg.
“I am in top shape. I have good preparation with Real Madrid behind me and I am ready to play,” Robben said after signing a four-year contract.
Details of the deal were not released.
“It all went very fast,” Robben told Bayern’s house TV. “I had a few things to think about and at the end I decided that I’d like to go to such a big club as Bayern.”
The 25-year-old Dutchman arrived in Munich to undergo medical tests.
“I feel very welcome here. It’s big club with a great history and I am pleased to be here now,” Robben said.
Robben will reunite with Dutch coach Louis van Gaal, who once picked him to play for the Netherlands at the under-20 World Cup.
Van Gaal said that Robben’s fitness and creativity will make him a major asset to the team.
“I believe that he’s fit, that he can play,” Van Gaal said. “He has played in Madrid for two years, but now he’s coming here. And that’s something different, I think.”
Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness said Robben might be ready to make his debut on Saturday against defending champion Wolfsburg.
Van Gaal compared Robben’s creative style of play to that of Franck Ribery, the French star winger whom the coach wants to move into central midfield.
“(Franck) Ribery has this quality, but Robben does, too,” Van Gaal said. “And we need that, I think.”
Van Gaal is off to a rocky start as Bayern Munich’s new coach. The team remains winless in its first three league games, with just two points from a possible nine.
