Manchester United have emerged as hot favourites to sign France and Bayern Munich dynamo Franck Ribery this summer.

According to a report in Sunday's News of the World, United are poised to beat Spanish giants Barcelona to Ribery's signature, a deal that would, in turn, allow Cristiano Ronaldo to leave Old Trafford and head to Real Madrid.

The tabloid reports that Barcelona are convinced that United have already struck a deal with Ribery and that the Red Devils are already preparing for life without their inspirational Portuguese star.

The France winger is the hottest property in the Bundesliga and has also been linked with moves to Real Madrid and Manchester City, despite Bayern insisting that they will do everything within their power to keep him

"Our goal is to hold on to Franck with all our might," Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness told the Bild newspaper. "But it will be a brutal struggle."

He added: "Enquiries about him will come in. Therefore the most important thing will be that we don't waver and announce clearly that we are keeping him. Otherwise uncertainty comes in and his agent senses his chance.

"But if we keep our clear position until August 31, when the transfer window closes, then afterwards we can try to extend his contract beyond 2011."

Hoeness, who leaves his own role with Bayern in the summer, believes Ribery's agent is keen for his client to move away from the Allianz Arena, even though the Frenchman is settled there.

He added: "He still has a two-year contract here without clauses. And he and his family feel at home here. In my opinion only the lack of hope for an international title can change his mind about a transfer. But I don't see this lack of hope.

"That his advisors are maybe interested in a transfer, that is clear to me. Advisors earn generally only through transfers, not if a player stays year after year at the same club. And they certainly want to continue to earn. We have to be aware of that."