Former Borussia Dortmund coach Sammer claims the Frenchman, who has been hampered by injury this term, should not walk back into the Bayern team when the Bundesliga starts up again next month after the winter break.

The 1996 European Footballer of the Year feels Bayern coach Louis van Gaal has created a side which is strong enough without the winger, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid.

"Of course the class of Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben is undisputed, but to build them into the team is going to be a huge task for Van Gaal," Sammer, who led Dortmund to the Bundesliga title in 2002 and is now responsible for youth development with the German Football Association, told Munich's Tz newspaper.

"Bayern have found a settled team who can always play their best and they showed that in Turin (against Juventus), without Ribery."

Reports in Germany today claimed Ribery and Bayern have already agreed terms with Real over a transfer in the summer should the 26-year-old choose not to commit himself to a new contract by the end of the season.

Ribery's current deal expires in 2011 and Bayern chairman Uli Hoeness recently admitted it would be "negligent" not to sell him next summer if, 12 months later, he would be available for free.

German World Cup winner Paul Breitner, who acts as an advisor to the Bayern board, also feels it would not be a disaster if Ribery were sold.

"If so, then FC Bayern would never have carried on after (Gerd) Muller or (Franz) Beckenbauer," he said.

"You cannot cry about losing players."

Meanwhile, Hoeness has given the biggest indication yet Luca Toni is on his way to Roma by wishing the Italian "all the best in Italy".

The striker, who is surplus to requirements at the Allianz Arena, is expected to join Roma in January, although the clubs have yet to officially confirm the transfer.

"I wish Luca all the best in Italy," Hoeness said in an interview with the Munchner Merkur newspaper today.

"I hope he now plays an excellent second half of the season with Roma and scores lots of goals so that he can go to the World Cup and then earn a longer contract with them."

Roma, being listed on the Italian stock exchange, must first release a statement to shareholders before finalising the deal, which now appears a formality.

Toni, who joined Bayern from Fiorentina in 2007, has fallen out with Van Gaal and is no longer wanted by the Dutchman.