GERMAN champion Bayern Munich on Tuesday announced an agreement with Serie A side Roma for a deal to take Moroccan international defender Mehdi Benatia to the Allianz Arena.

    Bayern said that the two clubs have agreed not to disclose the fee for the 27-year-old French-born center-back, although Italian media reports Tuesday estimated that Roma will receive around 30 million euros (US$39.6 million).

    That would be made up of 26 million euros initially, with a further four million in potential bonuses.

    The Bundesliga giant had been searching for defensive reinforcements after losing Javi Martinez until the end of the calendar year when he suffered a serious knee injury in the recent defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup.(SD-Agencies)