Ballack Told by Bayern: "Sign or go"

German champions Bayern Munich have issued an ultimatum to German international star Michael Ballack, giving him six weeks to decide whether or not he wants to stay at the Allianz Arena. Ballack is out of contract at the end of the season and Bayern have offered a lucrative four-year extension but are growing impatient at the player's reluctance to sign on the dotted line. "We want an answer by the end of September or beginning of October," general manager Uli Hoeness told the Abendzeitung. "Our offer is on the table. There is no need for more negotiations. He has to just say 'yes' or 'no'." German international captain Ballack has been strongly linked with Manchester United and Real Madrid and his agent, Michael Becker, has admitted to testing out the market value of his client. "Bayern took a long time putting their offer on the table," Becker told Kicker magazine. "It is only fair that we look around and see if this offer fits the market value." Ballack joined Bayern from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2002 and said at the time he was not ready for a move abroad, but at 28 this could be his last chance to ply his trade in another league. If Ballack does shun Bayern's contract offer the club are likely to immediately put the German Player of the Year up for sale rather than risk losing him for nothing at the end of the campaign.