Tottenham Hotspur seem to have finally given up on their efforts to hang on to Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov, reports in British media hinted on August 25.

Prior to Tottenham’s home defeat against Sunderland on August 23, which the Bulgarian watched from the bench, the club issued a statement with in which manager Juande Ramos said that Berbatov was not “focused enough” and would not “be good for the dressing-room and the team effort”.

“The statement effectively conceded that Berbatov was lost as a player to Tottenham and appeared to give [Manchester] United the upper hand in the wrangle,” British newspaper The Guardian said.

Last week, Berbatov called on the Spurs to let him make his "dream" come true, moving to United. However, the Spurs insisted it was the club and Ramos, who took the decision to leave Berbatov out of the squad against Sunderland and that “it was not the unsettled striker who told them he did not want to play,” the newspaper said.

Tottenham had already turned down Manchester’s first £20 million bid for the striker and United were preparing another worth £25 million, “which they were confident will finally close the deal”.

The Telegraph also confirms the information that United were preparing a new bit for the Bulgarian. “Manchester United are expected to offer an increased bid of £25 million to land disaffected striker Dimitar Berbatov – although it is understood that Tottenham have yet to receive a formal offer,” the newspaper said.

Officially, the Spurs wanted more than £30 million for the striker, but Berbatov had already handed in a transfer request and a compromise would allow him to join United before the September 1 transfer window deadline.

At the same time, United faced a “personnel crisis”, with Cristiano Ronaldo still more than a month away from a return and Nani still serving a three-match ban, the newspaper said.

Even more certain of Berbatov’s move to United is The Times, reporting that United had already made a formal bid. The striker would “complete an acrimonious move from Tottenham Hotspur to Manchester United within days after the Barclays Premier League champions finally reopened formal negotiations over the weekend. United made a second formal bid in the region of £25 million on Saturday [August 23] and a deal appears imminent after Juande Ramos, the Tottenham head coach, declared that the saga must be resolved,” the newspaper said.

Ramos was quoted as saying that “It can’t last longer than a week” because the transfer window closes on September 1. “I hope the situation is resolved before then, but there is a deadline.”