The Premier League demanded more evidence from Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur over the allegation of an illegal approach by United to Tottenham’s Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov, The Times reported on August 14. The Premier League's three-member board decided that it lacked enough evidence to make a decision on the case.

In mid-July, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy complained that United had violated the Premier League's regulations K3, which prevents approaches to players under contract elsewhere, and K8, which prohibits public statements expressing intent to sign player of another club, the newspaper said.

The news was broadcasted in the moment when Berbatov was waiting for a breakthrough over his transfer to United.

The clubs are believed to be still negotiating Berbatov's transfer fee. Although United expected to sign Berbatov in time to make his debut against Newcastle on the Premiership opening weekend on August 17, Berbatov was still training with Spurs on August 13.

The Berbatov saga has been going on since the summer of 2007 and media speculation has repeatedly sent him to United and back. The two teams were said to be incapable of agreeing on the player’s price, while media reports continued insisting that United’s manager Alex Ferguson would not give up his pursuit over Berbatov because of the pre-season injury crisis at United.

England star Wayne Rooney was unlikely to be ready for the Premier League because of a virus picked up in Nigeria and Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Anderson and Owen Hargreaves were all injured.

Tottenham could withdraw the complaint against United if the two clubs manage to agree on Berbatov before the Premier League reached a decision, The Times said. That was what had happened with their complaint about Liverpool's pursuit of Robbie Keane, who joined the Merseyside club for 20.3 millionpounds earlier in August.