BERLIN, March 23 - Bayern Munich have targeted Mark van Bommel as the ideal replacement for Michael Ballack and will find out in the next few weeks if a deal can be done with Barcelona for the Dutch midfielder, chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said on Thursday.

Bayern face the likely departure of Germany captain and playmaker Ballack, possibly to English champions Chelsea, and are keen to fill the midfield void before next season begins. Van Bommel appears to be their first choice.

"He is a player that we like. He is not a number 10, not a pure playmaker who scores many goals. But he is a midfielder of high quality and, above all, a good character," Rummenigge told Bayern's website.

Rummenigge said he recalled the Dutchman's spellbinding performance in last season's Champions League semi-final for PSV Eindhoven against AC Milan.

"Van Bommel quite literally marched ahead with the flag for PSV and almost alone brought Milan to the brink of defeat," Rummenigge said.

Rummenigge said Bayern wanted a top quality player such as Van Bommel who showed character on and off the pitch.

"We will find out from his manager and Barcelona if there is a fundamental willingness and a chance that he will move to Bayern. We will look into that in the coming weeks and see," Rummenigge said.

Van Bommel, 28, joined Spanish champions Barcelona at the start of the season with a contract until 2008, but has failed to establish a place in the starting lineup.

Rummenigge also mentioned German midfielder Tim Borowski, now with Werder Bremen, as another possible successor for Ballack. Bayern are looking for three or four new buys, but he said any transfer would be capped at around 20 million euros ($24.13 million).

Bayern paid a club record 19 million euros in 2003 for Dutch striker Roy Makaay.

"We will certainly not be paying 50 million or more for a player... Bayern could afford a sum below 20 million without risk," Rummenigge said.