Bayern Munich: We didn't want Schweinsteiger to join Man United

Bastian Schweinsteiger is off to Manchester United, but Bayern Munich did not want him to leave.

Bayern chief executive Karl Heinz Rummenigge says he did his very best to convince the midfielder to stay at the Allianz, but his mind was already made up.

Schweinsteiger will join up with his former manager Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford, one of the key attractions in the move.

Rummenigge said: "We tried to convince him to stay with Bayern Munich. But I also understand that a player who has spent 17 years at Bayern Munich, at the end of his career still wants to gain a new experience."

Describing him as "an icon, a legend", Rummenigge also said he hoped to see Schweinsteiger back at the club in the future.

"He has done great things here, he has won everything," he said. "I suggest to him that we will give him a great farewell match in Munich when he finishes his career, whenever that will be. And when he stops, we will talk about whether there is a second career for him here at Bayern."