Bayern hope Toni is the new van Nistelrooy

The worst-kept secret in football has finally been confirmed: fallen German giants Bayern Munich will pay 11 million euros for Fiorentina's Luca Toni.

Having scored 49 goals in the last two seasons, the 30-year-old Italian targetman will be expected to fire Bayern back to the top of the Bundesliga and to the 2007/08 UEFA Cup final in Manchester, but not all watchers are convinced that Bayern have made the best buy. In this week's Kicker magazine, for example, Oliver Bierhoff questioned Bayern's rating of the player.

I too am no fan of the Italian, but looking at Bayern's activity in the transfer market thus far, it's obvious that the reason Bayern were keen to sign him is because of his presence in the air. After losing the imperious Michael Ballack last summer, Bayern did not have - aside from central defender Daniel van Buyten - a real aerial threat. The Bavarians' foward line was useless in the air. Toni's presence is meant to remedy that shortcoming, especially as the promising Marcell Jansen, who led the Bundesliga in crosses this last season, has just been brought aboard. The wise men at Bayern must be envisioning a Ruud van Nistelrooy-David Beckham-type connection to blossom between the two newcomers.

But really, if all Bayern were looking for was a tall, intimidating bloke, why pay 11 million euros for him? Cheaper options abound. Jan Koller at Monaco is coming off an injury-ridden season, but he is more than serviceable and would have cost but a fraction of Toni's sticker price, while Jan Venegoor of Hesselink, currently of Celtic, has proven himself in Holland, Scotland and the UEFA Champions League.