Berbatov move set to go to wire

Berbatov move set to go to wire Bulgarian Berbatov looks unlikely to stay with present club Spurs Tottenham’s Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov is at the centre of a transfer deadline-day tug-of-war between Manchester United and Manchester City. Spurs have accepted City’s bid of over £30m for the 27-year-old Berbatov, but BBC Sport understands Berbatov has held talks with Manchester United. Berbatov has been linked with a move to United all summer, but the two clubs have been unable to agree a fee. City’s new owners Abu Dhabi United Group have made a late bid to sign him. But with hours to go before the transfer deadline closes at 0000 BST on 2 September, City manager Mark Hughes told BBC Radio 5 Live that he had not spoken to the player. “I would like the opportunity to talk to him but we haven’t been afforded that opportunity,” he said. “The lad has made his intentions known for some time [playing Champions League football] and it might be difficult to change his focus.” BBC Radio 5 Live football reporter Nigel Adderley said that Berbatov being seen at United’s training ground on Monday could be a potential cause of trouble for the Premier League champions. I am hopeful about Berbatov Prospective new Man City owner Dr Sulaiman Al-Fahim In July, Spurs submitted a year’s worth of evidence to the Premier League to support their complaint of Manchester United’s “disgraceful” pursuit of Dimitar Berbatov. “I understand Spurs haven’t granted United permission to talk with with the player,” he said. “The only bid they have approved is from Manchester City, believed to be around £34m.” Real Madrid were also thought to be interested in Berbatov, but Real’s president Ramon Calderon told BBC Radio Five Live they have not made a bid for the player. City boss Mark Hughes had hoped to meet the striker on Monday to discuss the potential transfer, which could be worth up to £35m. Any move is likely to involve a fee that would break the British transfer record of £30m, set when Chelsea bought Andriy Shevchenko from AC Milan in 2006. Hughes said it was now up to the player to decide whether his future lies at the City of Manchester Stadium. City revealed on Monday that owner Thaksin Shinawatra has agreed to sell the club to the Middle East company. And the new owners have immediately set their sights high, with Dr Sulaiman Al-Fahim, who is heading the takeover, saying Valencia striker David Villa and Stuttgart’s Mario Gomez are also on their list. “I am hopeful about Berbatov,” he said. “We have bids in for Villa and Gomez and I am waiting to hear whether we have been successful with those. “Funds are available, and transfers such as these show we are serious. 606: DEBATE United supporters will blow a fuse if the Berba deal goes through spurathought “The three players we are trying to bring in are good players, but it has been difficult because we only started (takeover) negotiations a couple of weeks ago. “We haven’t had a lot of time, but our idea is to bring in more players during the next transfer window. “I don’t want to put a figure on what will be available, like £100m, because more than that might be needed.” The club chased the signature of Brazilian star Ronaldinho in the summer before he decided to join AC Milan.

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