Tottenham Hotspur’s Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov is a step closer making a dream move to Manchester United, now that Spurs appear to have finally found a replacement for the unhappy striker in the shape of Spartak Moscow's Roman Pavlyuchenko, who announced that he had finally agreed to move to Tottenham, British newspaper Daily Mail reported.
Spartak had said earlier that Pavlyuchenko did not want to move to Britain because of family reasons, but on the night of August 26, the Russian striker confirmed he was finalising the details of his move to Spurs.
“I can confirm I am going to Tottenham. I am waiting for a visa and as soon as it is granted, I am ready to go to England and sign,” Pavlyuchenko was quoted as saying.
Tottenham's latest Eastern European recruit admitted that he was yet to meet Spurs manager Juande Ramos. “Juande Ramos and I have not yet met, it seems like he will call me, but I know for sure he is very interested in my services,”he said.
Spartak spokesman Eduard Nisenboim also confirmed to Russian media that the deal was not yet signed. “I would prefer it if the deal was described as ‘very close’ […] At the moment the papers have not been signed. We have only reached a verbal agreement with the English club,” Daily Mail quoted Nisenboim as saying.
Meanwhile, BBC reported that Berbatov's agent Emil Danchev was in London for “crisis talks” as the striker tried to force his move to United. Danchev hoped to meet Ramos and Tottenham’s chairman Daniel Levy in a bid to thrash out the Berbatov’s future.
The emergency talks seemed to be necessary, as the Bulgarian was excluded from the squad for the Tottenham’s August 23 loss to Sunderland because of a “lack of focus” and his relationship with his team-mates “appears to have broken down.” Other reports in England have went as far as to claim that Berbatov flat-out refused to play and might have even been fined a week's wages.
Regardless of Berbatov’s wish to join United, Spurs have shown no indication they are willing to cut their asking price for the striker, quoted at £30 million (38.5 million euro), and could still come true on the threat to let the Bulgarian "rot in the reserves" rather than sell him for less than what they believe he is worth.
“Tottenham's position has been made more difficult by the fact that no offer is currently on the table for the striker, despite interest from United as well as two Spanish clubs. At the same time, Spurs' complaint to the Premier League regarding United's conduct in their pursuit of Berbatov is on hold,” BBC said.
It seems that Tottenham and United are going to continue with their mutual mind-games. In the long run, time might be on United's side as Tottenham risk to lose Berbatov next summer, when he will be eligible to leave the club as a free agent under FIFA rules. The rules allow players over the age of 28, who have already served the first three years of their contract, to buy out the remainder of the contract by paying the club the wages they are entitled to receive until the contract expirs.
In Berbatov's case, that would be a mere £2.5 million (3.2 million euro) a year. His contract with Spurs expires in 2010, but the White Hart Lane club have an option to extend it for two more years, which does not require the player's consent.
Either way, Spurs would receive a much smaller compensation than what United is reported to be offering, £25 million (32 million euro). For all the club's posturing in recent weeks and its feud with United, a deal before the end of the transfer window on August31 is still believed to be very likely.
