Manchester United Striker Dimitar Berbatov to Make Sensational £8m Tottenham Return?

Old Trafford striker on his way back to White Hart Lane?

Dimitar Berbatov could make a sensational return to Tottenham in a cut-price deal this summer.

The Bulgarian striker will have just one year left on his Manchester United contract at the end of the season – and talks over a new deal have so far stalled.

That has alerted Spurs, who sold Berbatov to United three years ago for £30 million.

United face the threat of losing the hit-man on a free transfer if they allow his contract to run down and expire in June 2012.

And with Berbatov now 30, it ­appears United will not offer him more than a one-year extension.

If United and the player cannot reach agreement, they can take the option to sell him rather than lose him on a free.

Spurs would not want to pay more than £8m for the striker – and that would represent a smart move by chairman Daniel Levy. Spurs orginally bought Berbatov for £10.9m from Bayer Leverkusen in 2006. He played 102 games for Spurs, scoring 46 goals, before his move to Old Trafford in 2008.

SOURCE: Daily Mirror

Talk of a return to North London for Dimitar Berbatov is growing and if the Man United striker continues to bench warm then it would appear that the chances of the Bulgarian leaving Old Trafford will significantly increase as clearly a 30 year old goalscorer in the form of his life does not want to be out of the first team picture for too long.

Clearly Sir Alex Ferguson is thinking about the long term and given the great form that Mexican youngster Javier Hernandez has shown this season it is clearly a plan that appears to be working. The Man United boss believes that as a strike pairing Chicharito and Wayne Rooney offer his side best option and whilst clearly that may confuse some given that Berbatov is the Premier League’s top scorer, the Scot is sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League and in the semi-finals of the Champions League so clearly he knows what he is doing.

Harry Redknapp has not been happy with the goals return from his current quartet of Roman Pavlyuchenko, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane although oddly enough these strikers seem to have less trouble in Champions League duty, and a move for added fire-power appears very high up on the White Hart Lane boss’s wish-list.

Would Man United allow Berbatov to leave for such a small fee though? Even with a year left on his contract, he is worth far more, surely?

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Mancini - We will get respect

Mancini: City are ready to claim first trophy in 35 years

Roberto Mancini reckons Sir Alex Ferguson will now have to give Manchester City the respect they deserve.

"He now knows that we are a big club because he is a very clever man. He understands football very well. He knows that Manchester City has changed a lot over the last year"
Roberto Mancini Quotes of the week

Manchester City edged past United in the recent FA Cup semi-finals and now stand on the verge of claiming their first trophy in 35 years.

During Ferguson's 25-year tenure in charge at Old Trafford, he has highlighted Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea as their greatest rivals.

The rivalry between the two Manchester clubs was heightened when Carlos Tevez was poached by City from their neighbours, which City fans celebrated deliriously.

Their reaction prompted some cutting remarks from Ferguson but Mancini feels their recent cup win will force the Scotsman to change his opinion of them.

"Sir Alex Ferguson offered me his congratulations after the game at Wembley and that was very important and kind," said the Manchester City chief.

"He now knows that we are a big club because he is a very clever man. He understands football very well. He knows that Manchester City has changed a lot over the last year.

"I don't know what he has said about our club in the past, but if you want to arrive at the top there is only one way - and that is to work very hard.

"The only way that you can change the mentality of a club is to win and that means working hard over a long period of time.

"It is impossible to bring a winning mentality to a club in one month or even six months. Of course, we need to work even more but we are getting better - and he knows that."

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Liverpool to Sell Eight and Sign Up to 11 New Player In £85m Shake Up

Anfield side set for major overhaul.

Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli to lead the way in bid to refresh the playing staff at Anfield
Liverpool are planning a radical overhaul of their squad this summer with a source at the club revealing that they are planning “up to 22 deals” in and out of the club.

Director of Football Damien Comolli has been working since his appointment to identify priority targets and will receive support from the club’s owners, the Fenway Sports Group, this summer as the club seek to build a squad capable of getting back into the Champions League.
Kenny Dalglish, who is hoping to remain as manager, has spoken of the need to complement the club’s emerging talent with investment and it is understood that Comolli and his scouting team located two or three targets for each position they want to strengthen.
Most of these are aged between 19 and 24 as the club wants to invest in players whose talent can be developed and whose value will increase.
Rennes winger Sylvain Marveaux is expected to be the first signing when the window opens on June 1.
The club are being described as “a long way down the road” to securing the Bosman free transfer of the former France Under-21 international.

Liverpool are looking at further reinforcements in the wide areas, another striker, a left-back and cover at centre back. If enough players can be sold, there could be as many as 11 signings.
The club are working on trying to set up deals for the players out on loan – Paul Konchesky, Alberto Aquilani, Philipp Degen, Nabir El Zhar and Emiliano Insua – while there has also been interest in David Ngog, Sotirios Kyrgiakos and Milan Jovanovic, all of whom are for sale.

SOURCE: Daily Telegraph

Life under Kenny Dalglish continues to be bright with the caretaker boss, who will surely be handed a permanent deal this summer, continuing to get the most out of his fairly average squad, a squad the Anfield boss is keen to freshen up with significant moves in the transfer market this summer.

It seems like a lifetime ago that Roy Hodgson was presiding over multiple failures at the Liverpool helm and whilst the former Fulham boss is doing a great job at West Brom it did seem that he was the wrong person at the wrong time and his brief reign as boss of the Merseyside giants was as dismal as it was depressing for the club’s supporters who had probably wanted Kenny Dalglish all along.

New strike pairing Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll have more than ably exorcised the ghost of Fernando Torres, who finally ended his goal drought yesterday, and the likes of Lucas and Raul Meireles have also improved dramatically in recent months.

The air of enthusiasm and confidence in the future is further exemplified by the impressive displays from youngsters Martin Kelly (before he got injured), John Flanagan and Jack Robinson and Dalglish and director of football Damien Comolli are keen to invest transfer funds handed to them by Fenway Sports Group this summer.

Liverpool are reportedly looking for new wingers with the likes of Sylvain Marveaux, Ashley Young and Stewart Downing strongly linked with possible moves to the club. Dalglish also seems very keen on bringing in Charlie Adam from Blackpool but one wonders where exactly the Scottish international would fit into the current set-up.

There also appears a need to beef up the centre of the Liverpool defence and to that end there has been much speculation that Bolton’s Gary Cahill is Dalglish’s first choice to resolve that issue. It seems the up turn in form has also helped to dispel the notion that big names could leave with Pepe Reina apparently keen to stay at the club and Dirk Kuyt putting pen to paper on a lucrative new deal.

The future seems bright at Anfield and an assault on the top four next season seems very likely.

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McGregor stars in Old Firm draw

Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor produced a superb penalty save to give the reigning champions a draw with Celtic and keep the title race alive.

Steven Davis was ruled to have fouled Anthony Stokes, but McGregor pushed Georgios Samaras's late spot-kick wide.

The sides kept a lid on a potentially feisty derby during a lively first half that nevertheless produced few chances.

Rangers' Kyle Lafferty flashed a header wide after the break, while McGregor also thwarted Daniel Majstorovic.

And the Scotland goalkeeper's penalty save prevented Celtic securing a victory that would have sent them to the top of the Scottish Premier League by two points with a game in hand.

The build-up to the game had been overshadowed by parcel bombs sent to Celtic manager Neil Lennon and two other prominent fans.

Walter Smith went into his final Old Firm game as Rangers manager hoping to even up the scores with Celtic having won three and lost two of the previous Glasgow derbies this season.

But an even game that ended both sides' five-match winning run concluded with Lennon the happier of the managers as his side will now win the title if they win all five of their remaining fixtures.

Smith had returned to the line-up that overcame Celtic in the Co-operative Insurance Cup final, with the exception of McGregor being preferred to Neil Alexander in goal.

That meant Gregg Wylde coming in for Kyle Hutton, but the Celtic midfield provided the bigger pre-match surprise.

Joe Ledley, who was expected to miss out through injury, and Ki Sung-Yueng were preferred to Kris Commons, who scored two goals in midweek against Kilmarnock, and James Forrest.

Samaras, who had caused Rangers problems in earlier encounters, was chosen ahead of Stokes up front.

However, it was Rangers on the front foot in the early stages as Ibrox shuddered in a cauldron of noise produced by both sets of fans, with Wylde and Davis delivering dangerous crosses into a Celtic box nervously patrolled by punch-happy goalkeeper Fraser Forster.

Ledley had claims for a penalty correctly waved away by referee Craig Thomson after running into Steven Whittaker.

Rangers, though, were first to threaten and a Maurice Edu shot deflected a foot wide off Charlie Mulgrew.

The first flashpoint came after 22 minutes, with a spot of mutual shoving from Samaras and David Weir, but a yellow card each calmed what can so often be volatile proceedings.

Scott Brown had Celtic's first effort on goal with a low drive from 20 yards that curled a few yards wide after Mark Wilson dispossessed Davis.

Steven Naismith wildly sliced wide from 12 yards at the other end when found in the clear at the far post by a long Sasa Papac diagonal ball as the first half deteriorated into a midfield war of attrition.

Weir had the first chance of the second half but headed over from 14 yards after climbing well to meet a Davis corner, while Daniel Majstorovic did well to deflect a Naismith drive wide.

Kyle Lafferty squandered a great chance to give Rangers the lead when he beat Mulgrew to a Wylde cross to the front post, but the forward flashed his header just wide.

Celtic responded and a 22-yard Beram Kayal drive flew inches wide then McGregor produced a breathtaking finger-tip save to deflect a close-range Majstorovic header for a corner.

Lafferty flashed a free-kick wide of the far post, while Naismith fired across the face of goal and narrowly past from the edge of the box.

McGregor did well to tip an Emilio Izaguirre chip over the crossbar after the full-back had stepped inside Whittaker.

It looked like Celtic would secure the victory when Thomson pointed to the spot after 83 minutes.

The decision looked harsh, with Davis at most being guilty of obstruction, but McGregor was on hand to save the day for a Rangers side who remain top by a point.

Stokes went down again in the box in the dying seconds under a John Fleck challenge, but this time Thomson booked the substitute for diving.

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