French star Franck Ribery was a wanted man during the summer yet he ended up staying with Bayern Munich. Ribery was wanted by a number of elite European clubs with Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona all reportedly after his services.

Ribery is going through a frustrating season plagued by injuries which have limited him to just nine league appearances. Bayern started the season in frustrating fashion but have gradually improved to climb the league standings while still competing in the Champions League. Ribery insists he wants to win trophies and while he believes the Bavarians are a big team, he feels they are not up to par with the likes of Barca, Real Madrid and Chelsea.

The Frenchman even hinted his compatriot Thierry Henry who plays for Barca would like him to join the Spanish giants. The intriguing question would be if Ribery joins the Catalans then who would make way? The starting lineup for Josep Guardiola’s team against Getafe included the world’s best player Lionel Messi along with key midfielders Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Seydou Keita. Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic also started while  Henry did not feature.

Do the Catalans really need Ribery or would he disrupt the current telepathic understanding built by a team whose stars are familiar with each other? Ibrahimovic has settled in fairly well while Henry has managed 13 appearances in la Liga this season and could be on his way out in the summer. Signing Ribery could imply a hefty sum paid to Bayern Munich for a quality player who might really not be needed considering the presence of a number of difference makers such as Messi and Iniesta.

Interestingly, Barca’s eternal rivals Real Madrid could stand to benefit more if they signed the Frenchman considering Brazilian Kaka has struggled so far to leave his footprints at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.