Klose moving to Bremen

Germany striker Miroslav Klose has agreed a €5m summer switch from 1. FC Kaiserslautern to Bundesliga leaders SV Werder Bremen.

Ailton leaving
The 25-year-old, whose existing contract at Kaiserslautern was due to run until 2005, has agreed a four-year contract. Klose will fill the gap left by Brazilian striker Ailton who is leaving Bremen on a free transfer at the end of the season to join FC Schalke 04.

Happy to sign
Klose is excited by the prospect of playing UEFA Champions League football with Bremen, who are on course to qualify for next season's competition. "Since last season I've been saying that I definitely want to be competing at international level by the 2004/2005 season," he told the club's official website.

'Werder offer everything'
"It was important to find a club that suited me," he added. "Werder offer everything: relaxed surroundings and a team who play fantastic attacking football which I would like to be a part of in the future."

World Cup heroics
Klose has made 114 appearances in the Bundesliga with Kaiserslautern, scoring 43 goals. He shot to global prominence at the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals, scoring five goals in six appearances. First capped in 2001, he has found the net 16 times in 35 matches for his country.

Schaaf delighted
Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf said: "Miroslav Klose has tremendous footballing ability and will be an asset to our team. In light of the iminent departure of Ailton, it was important for us to find a man capable of achieving a similar goal ratio."