Bayern Munich have officially confirmed that World Cup winner Lucio will join the club over the summer.

The stylish Bayer Leverkusen defender has rejected a number of approaches from across Europe in order to remain in Germany.

"We are very happy that the deal went through," Bayern supremo Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told the club's official website after the Leverkusen ace signed a three-year contract until 2007 on Thursday.

An extended medical on Tuesday and Wednesday destroyed any doubts that Lucio's knee injury, which had kept him out of the Bundesliga's finale, could threaten the transfer which has been in the pipeline for some weeks.

According to the website, Bayern will pay Leverkusen a compensation of €12 million for the tall defender, who had also been linked with Real Madrid, Juventus, Roma, Inter, Manchester United and Chelsea in the past.

Following the capture of new coach Felix Magath, who replaces Ottmar Hitzfeld, and Bochum striker Vahid Hashemian, Lucio is the third fresh face at Germany’s biggest club, which failed to win any trophy last season.

Crap, with Hashemian and now Lucio, they might get the title next year. I want at least 5 trophyless years inside the Bundesliga for Bayern.

One thing is that.. lucio is a excellent attacker for a defender. but he sometimes mixes things horribly at the back.. so he is not impregnable like nesta and ayala

But the rest of Bayern's defence is very solid. Sagnol, Linke, Rau, Kuffour, all are solid. Even with Lizarazu leaving Bayern still won't have many defensive problems unless Kahn falls apart like he has recently.

Good buy. It's like getting a defender and a foward.

great buy 4 Bayern

how many former leverkusen (spelling?) players have bayern munchen got now?

i thought Sagnol was leaving too? I read today that Arsenal are favourites for him.

I didn't know about that. Ishy I think they have three of their players. I don't track that kind of thing though.

Lucio is a good buy.... fits in well at Bayern.