Loading ...Aug 13 2008
Berbatov to United Transfer Near Complete
We have been here before, various times this summer, but the extent to which this story is being picked-up this time makes me believe the transfer is now going to happen. Sources which were previously suspicious in jittery in trying to break the news are now sober in their reports. Dimitar Berbatov seems destined for Manchester United. The current Tottenham striker will move to Old Trafford Wednesday or Thursday for a reported £25 million.
It seems United has had their eyes on Berbatov all summer and had been hoping Spurs’ asking price would come down. Now, this close to the start of the season (and the close of the transfer window), they are going to move to finalize the deal, paying slightly more than Liverpool paid for an equally effective Robbie Keane. Both Spurs and United seem to think Berbatov the better player, though Berbatov is more of a fit, need solution for a Red Devil club that has been playing for some time without a true target man.
Despite that need and their injury and availability issues, I doubt Manchester United is making a desperation buy here. My gut feeling is that Manchester United has been prepared to pay this price all summer and only refrained from doing so in the hope that the number would come down. With only a couple of weeks left to finalize deals, Alex Ferguson is not waiting any longer.
While it may not make their ideal XI much better, this deal does help United get from the season’s beginning to Cristiano Ronaldo’s return, where the drop-off in goal scoring could cost them the few points they will need to retain their title. As tight as the Premiership stands to be, even those points contested at the season’s beginning will have a major effect on how the table looks in May. With a somewhat difficult first two months on the fixture list, the addition of a Berbatov would be a big boost for Ferguson’s club.
It is a great price for Tottenham to get, though it locks them into Darren Bent, who - despite playing incredibly throughout the preseason - is coming off a terrible season. Potential England call-up rumors aside, I do not see how Juande Ramos can possibly be comfortable with his strike force, should Berbatov leave. Giovani Dos Santos will slot into the number 10 role and Bent plays high, but I doubt this is the strike force Ramos dreamed of at the summer’s onset.
There are not a lot of good stories about Tottenham getting another striker. Twenty-five million pounds has a way of changing that, though. With that kind of cash infusion, Ramos will quickly be able to find out if David Villa is really staying at Valencia or Zenit St. Petersburg is set on keeping Andrei Arshavin.
Of course, the problem with both the Villa and the Arshavin scenarios is that they replace Keane more then Berbatov. Berbatov is a traditional nine - a target man - and while it is conceivable Ramos feels no need to adhere to that kind of conventional tactic, it begs the question as to why they were willing to go a couple of weeks without Keane, preparing as if they would have a true lead striker, only to have to subtly change preparations with a Berbatov sale.
Tottenham may have a longer view of such a move, acquiring another, somewhat superfluous complementary striker with the idea of completing their long-term roster in either January or next summer. For this season, they may get Villa or Arshavin (or both) and take a page out of Manchester United’s book and play without a target. At worst, it would provide symmetry to this deal.
Links
United seal £25 million deal for Spurs star
Berbatov to United in 48 hours - Report
Berbatov on the brink of £28m transfer from Suprs to United
Berbatov on brink of Man Utd move
Spurs losing hope of hanging on to Berbatov
WFP Related Posts
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