Premier League - Transfer Talk: No self-respect

Eurosport - Tue, 26 Aug 07:21:00 2008

Dimitar Berbatov's move to Manchester United depends upon whether Tottenham Hotspur have no self-respect - for a second time in as many months.

FOOTBALL - 2007/08 Premier League - Dimitar Berbatov, Tottenham Hotspur - 0

You may remember Daniel Levy's 'embarrassing climbdown', as it was labelled, from accusations that Liverpool had tapped up Robbie Keane in order to allow the diminutive striker's move to Anfield to go through.

Now Spurs are going to have to open themselves to ridicule again.

With Berba left out at the weekend due to his feeble state of mind - having resorted to throwing his dummy out in recent weeks to push through a transfer to Old Trafford - Spurs seem to have no choice but to cash in on their superstar goal-getter.

However, United want Levy to retract his accusation of "sheer arrogance and interference", not to mention "unbelievable hypocrisy" over quotes attributed to Alex Ferguson saying he had bid for the Bulgarian.

Spurs, they say, have no basis for grievance, particularly as a Norwegian supporters club admitted making the quotes up because they couldn't decipher Fergie's Glaswegian drawl.

White Hart Lane supremo Juande Ramos has said he wants an end to the saga so he has time to bring in a quality replacement before the transfer window closes next Monday. But who might that man be?

According to today's newspapers, River Plate's Colombian striker Radamel Falcao - for a relatively paltry £7 million. The devout Christian, who scored at the weekend, is nicknamed 'El Tigre', which is coincidentally - and in no way related to football transfers - the name of TT's favourite tapas bar in Madrid.

Atletico Madrid have scared off lily-livered Tottenham by slapping a £20m price-tag on former Man Utd flop Diego Forlan, who has actually looked very good since departing for Spain four years ago.

Spurs have also been linked with a swoop for Wigan's Emile Heskey (£8m), Valencia's David Villa (£20m) and Ajax's Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (£20m), while Zenit St Petersburg are said to have dropped their asking price for Andrei Arshavin.

Manchester City are in for their former wing wizard and small boy Shaun Wright-Phillips. The £10m they have in Thaksin Shinawatra's wallet - probably not his own money - is substantially less than the £22m they received for him in 2005. Mark Hughes is also after Wolves captain Karl Henry.

In more City 'news', Arsenal are monitoring midfielder Michael Johnson who is rated at £6m. The Eastlands outfit have reportedly offered to double the youngster's salary to 18,000 a week in an effort to keep him - although not a very good effort.

Portsmouth are bracing themselves for a freak cold front coming in from the Atlantic and also an £8m bid from Hamburg for Croatia's Niko Kranjcar - they are light in midfield following the sale of Rafael van der Vaart to Real Madrid and Vincent Kompany to Man City.

Pompey and Everton are to slug it out for Atletico Madrid midfielder Thiago Motta, despite the Brazilian's terrible record with knee injuries. Everton are also linked with Fulham god Jimmy Bullard, although admittedly by Stan Collymore.

Sunderland are trying to bag Atleti's attacking left-back Mariano Pernia, a naturalised Spaniard but really an Argentinian. Their job will be made easier if they lose to Germans Schalke in qualification for the Champions League this week.

In a rare moment of actual news in TT, Robert Koren has signed a new two-year contract with West Brom - or at least that is what the papers say. They will also seek to close a £4m move for Oscar Trejo from Mallorca soon.

Championship side Reading are determined to keep striker Kevin Doyle although a shady representative of Aston Villa has been sighted hovering around their training ground with £5m in a black briefcase, while Villans boss Martin O'Neill is keen to bag former loanee James Milner from Newcastle for £9m.

And to finish on a high point: Peter Crouch reveals 'he had to quit Anfield so he could look at himself in the mirror' - or so says the headline in the Daily Mail. TT didn't get any further than that, and nor should you.

Jonathan Symcox / Eurosport

Comment 61 - 80 of 80

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  1. berbatov + man utd=champions

    From Aleksandar S, on Wed 27 Aug 3:45AM

  2. ... time to bring in a quality replacement before the transfer window closes next Monday. But who might that man be?

    The right answer is Russian striker Roman Pavluchenko, yeah-yeaaahh, the lad who scored twice in Lujniki stadium last year. Spartak has officially confirmed the deal

    From dr.muktar, on Tue 26 Aug 9:14PM

  3. fergie must be the luckiest manager in the world....not the best by a long long way...with or without berbatov he will struggle this season ,and spurs will finish above man united this season because ramos is a far better manager than fergie !! the title will be coming back to london and chelsea are favourites ....fergie will leave before the season finishes.
    Message to Lord Coe : please do not ask Fergie to manage the olympic football team, if he does then that is one medal LOST already

    From earlbertrand, on Tue 26 Aug 5:34PM

  4. I`m not a Spurs fan, so look at it this way. The club is selling its assets,three gone, one left. Why? I think the club needs money. The last of these is sitting on the bench, why ?? Utd will not buy if cup tied. The valuation is overinflated by the seller, like a dodgy car dealer, why??? Looks like the club needs money. This is out of the managers hands and in the accountants.

    From plewis696@..., on Tue 26 Aug 3:23PM

  5. keithwatson1997 I think berba is better.

    From kalio_di, on Tue 26 Aug 11:25AM

  6. I am a united fan and would like to see berby joining us but im not happy about the whole situation. I did not like the way realmadrid tried to lure Ronaldo so in the same way i dont like the way the berby situation is being handled.

    I agree with totenham fans who feel a bit frustrated but their team is not behaving properly either by punishing their player by relegating him on the bench. They should cash in (even if not from man-u) and find an adequate replacement before its too late

    From ernest, on Tue 26 Aug 10:59AM

  7. Full marks to Spurs. Why should the rich clubs trample on the others by destroying the teams smaller than themselves by buying players they do not really need. I suggest that all the anti Spurs commenters read the Piers Morgan article in the sports section in the "Mail on Sunday". An excellent article on the modern players greed.

    From a true neutral

    From ARTHUR, on Tue 26 Aug 9:47AM

  8. POOR OLD TOTTYHAM, NO KEANE, NO BERBATOV, NO POINTS , NO CHANCE HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

    From JOHN R, on Tue 26 Aug 9:02AM

  9. Fergie is just a selfish old drunkard. You're going down this season.

    From henry, on Tue 26 Aug 8:36AM

  10. The premier league is naff, too much speculation about arrogant money grabbing idiots

    From nandshurst@..., on Tue 26 Aug 7:59AM

  11. kalio_di, For a moment there i thought you were talking about Rooney!

    From keithwatson1997@..., on Tue 26 Aug 7:37AM

  12. berbatov the next eric cantona!

    From hoomalevickram, on Tue 26 Aug 7:36AM

  13. Frankly, something strange is going on at Spurs! I mean, they sell Keane for good money, they also spend good money plus on bentley, gomes, modric and co, but then don't conclude or stop the Berba - ManU deal... we're now a few days away from the Transfer window closing and still no finalisation.

    Clearly the player feels a deal is on and wants it to happen, so instead Levy (and co?)don't wrap it up and have hindered Spurs' start to the season. All these goings on affect the team, it has to and that's where the problem lies, in the Psycology of the team. Even Ramos wants the saga to go away (any how).

    Is this the way a team with claimed 'ambition' carry on? I don't think so. Sure, hold out for the best deal possible, but not at the expense of progress and results.

    From Woody, on Tue 26 Aug 7:06AM

  14. good news is that wenger isnt giving up on signing a CM. spurs are gonna get outdone this season muahahhhahahahahahahh. suckers

    From Il Risker, on Tue 26 Aug 6:51AM

  15. Berbatov for man u & ronaldo for real madrid & David Villa for totteham best players in the world but hughes for a waste of money and a bad signing.

    From davekooi@..., on Tue 26 Aug 3:24AM

  16. who the F.U.C.K is fergie don't retract nothing, he did the same thing he was complaining that REAL MADRID did. to hell with fergie

    From dercute, on Tue 26 Aug 3:19AM

  17. whats the point of keeping a player who doe'snt want to play for spurs any more let him go and move on

    From M+M, on Tue 26 Aug 3:17AM

  18. Berbatov is good.....but not ready for UTD. It's crazy to think that someone playing good for his current club will fit perfect in this "fast bonesmashing machine Man Utd." It's different style - Faster, aggressive football.
    That's why he needs help and support. Let him show you his real power in holding the ball, domination at the second floor, balance and coordination. He have great feeling of the situations. Yes, he don't run fast but think every single second when play. You will see, you will love this.........just like us. Wait a little.
    You know better than Alex.......Ha Ha Ha...

    From kalio_di, on Tue 26 Aug 2:50AM

  19. To all of you that want Berbatov to go to Man-Ure must be Man-Ure supporters. We practically gave Carrick to you, without whom you would not have won the the EPL and CL. And now you want Berbatov so you can win some more titles....well F**k-Off. I rather see Berbatov rot in the reserves, or better still, transfer his @#$% to to the likes of Juventus, MIlans, Barca, Roma, Real and etc......NEVER to Manure. Since Berbatov has asked for a transfer, why not a trade: Arshavin for Berbatov? Daniel Levey should should sue ManUre for tapping up Berbatov. Don't you all think Man-ure has disrupted a Spurs team that was supposed to be challenging the "top 4".

    From starman_123, on Tue 26 Aug 2:36AM

  20. berbatov should join WWE and shld tagteam wif CM PUNK..cus they look alike..

    From nthk8, on Tue 26 Aug 2:23AM
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