Nerlinger: Best to come from Ribery

Bayern Munich director of sport Christian Nerlinger expects Franck Ribery to explode into life this season after putting a turbulent 12 months behind him.

The Frenchman suffered World Cup disappointment with his national team but Nerlinger believes that when all the dust has settled, Ribery will be reborn.

"He has the worst year of his career behind him, but I have noticed in several chats we have had that he is highly motivated and really wants to perform to his best," Nerlinger, who has ruled out making any new signings this summer, told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

"There are no areas of our team which need strengthening.

"I see Franck Ribery as our biggest new signing," added Nerlinger.

"I hope he can be with us at the start of the season against Wolfsburg and if he can remain healthy then we know that he is soon going to enchant all of the fans and help this team further."

Ribery's troubles started a year ago when he suffered a toe injury in pre-season.

He was not considered at all by Bayern coach Louis van Gaal until he had proven he was 100% fit, but then a series of injuries kept knocking him back.

Rumours about his private life surfaced as Bayern entered the semi-final stages of the Champions League and his red card in the first leg of that tie against Lyon, which consequently ruled him out of the final, was the latest ebb of a difficult season.

Speculation about his future accompanied him throughout the year until he signed a new deal with Bayern as they paraded their silverware in Munich in May, but the controversies at the World Cup and the ongoing police investigation into his private life have set him back again.