Eric Abidal is keeping his options open.
Former Barcelona defender Eric Abidal is aiming for a move to either Bayern Munich or AS Monaco this summer following his departure from the Nou Camp.
The 33-year-old is coming towards the end of his career and has undergone a difficult period in the last few years after being diagnosed with a liver tumour in 2011.
A subsequent operation and then liver transplant has obviously kept the Frenchman out of the Barca side for some time, although less than 12 months after his second major surgery Abidal played for the Catalans in April this year.
However, the four-time European champions revealed they would not be renewing the defender’s contract when it ran out in July and as a result he is on the search for a new club.
”Guardiola knows my situation and he would be delighted to have me on his team”, Abidal claimed to Telefoot.
”I would be pleased to join Bayern. I have a very good relationship with Franck Ribery. Bayern is among the best in Europe”
New Bayern boss Pep Guardiola was Abidal’s manager for four years between 2008 and 2012, with the talented Spaniard being given the Barca job a year after the France international joined the club.
Yet with the German champions already having a strong defensive set-up consisting of Dante, Holger Badstuber and Jerome Boateng, coupled with the left-back’s age, it is unknown whether Guardiola would actually need the defender.
However, Abidal is also keeping an option open for a switch to super-rich Monaco, with the Principality club looking to strengthen their squad after returning to Ligue 1 for the first time in two years.
Manager Claudio Ranieri has already acquired veteran centre-back Ricardo Carvalho this summer and the former-Barca star has history with the club having started his career there.
“The most important thing is to have options, such as Monaco. This is a move that would allow me to go full circle in my career.”
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