After months of speculation, the 26-year-old midfielder, who has only played nine games for Bayern this season because of injury, will sign for the Manchester club in a deal believed to be in the region of 25 million euros.

"Owen Hargreaves is going to leave us, it is what he wants and everything is in place," Beckenbauer told German television channel DSF.

The Kaiser was speaking after reports earlier in the day on the website of German magazine Spiegel that a deal was imminent.

Beckenbauer would not confirm how much the deal is worth to the German giants, but when asked about the 25 million euro figure he simply added, "It is in the region of that number."

Hargreaves, who has won 38 caps for his country, has wanted to join Manchester United since the 2006 World Cup, but was thwarted in his efforts by Bayern who wanted him to fulfil his contract which expires in 2010.

Canadian-born Hargreaves broke into the Bayern side in the 2000-01 season and has made 145 Bundesliga appearances, but was forced to miss most of the season after fracturing his left leg last September.

He enjoyed plenty of success at Bayern, winning three Bundesliga titles (in 2001, 2003 and 2005), two German Cups (2003 and 2005), a Champions League title and the Intercontinental Cup, both in 2001.

But Beckenbauer refused to confirm the arrival of Chelsea's 23-year-old Dutch forward Arjen Robben, which was reported in British Sunday paper The Observer.

After their worst Bundesliga season since 1995, Bayern, who finished fourth, are set to recruit hard this summer and are keen to sign Italian striker Luca Toni and German veteran Miroslav Klose, the top-scorer at last year's World Cup.