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Brazilian national team midfielder Lucio, who moved to "Bayern" a year and a half ago, had a contract valid until 2007 and extended it for three more years until 2010, while German national team midfielder S. Deisler, who could have become a free agent next summer, also decided to stay with the team and signed a new contract until 2009.
Recently, "Bayern" extended contracts with midfielders Owen Hargreaves, Martin Demichelis, and striker Roque Santa Cruz, but one of the team's leaders, Michael Ballack, has not yet decided whether he will stay in the club and can negotiate with other teams in January. Meanwhile, French legionnaire Willy Sagnol seems to have already decided to move to Turin's "Juventus."
The new purchase, 23-year-old J. Dos Santos, who according to the club's sports director Uli Hoeness "is number 10 and could take Ballack's place," underwent a medical examination in Munich on Wednesday and signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with "Bayern." The midfielder from Paraguay helped "Cerro Porteno" win the country's champion title for the second consecutive year this month, and now he will join the "Bayern" training camp in Dubai from January 6.
However, before finalizing the player's transfer, "Bayern" will have to solve two problems - It is believed that "Cerro Porteno" had previously agreed to sell J. Dos Santos to the Spanish team "Cadiz," so they will need to reach an agreement with this club. Additionally, the player would be the fifth non-EU footballer in the Munich team, although only four are allowed. According to the German press, the Paraguayan could obtain Spanish citizenship, but if that doesn't happen, the team may have to let Iranian Ali Karimi go.
