Israel Saria
Eurosport
Dimitar Berbatov will become a Manchester United player within the next 48 hours, according to newspaper reports.
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The Tottenham striker has long been linked with a move to Old Trafford but United have so far refused to meet Spurs’ £30 million valuation of the player.
A £20m bid was rejected earlier this summer but a substantially improved offer is now thought to have been accepted by the White Hart Lane club.
Most newspapers report that a £28m deal will be concluded by the end of the week – in time to feature in United’s official squad photograph, scheduled to be taken on Friday.
With striking options in short supply at Old Trafford, United boss Alex Ferguson has made Berbatov’s acquisition a top priority this summer.
But the arrival of the Bulgarian, who old has made clear his desire to leave White Hart Lane, will not have been without controversy.
Spurs are unhappy with United’s pursuit of the 27-year-old over the past 18 months; club chairman Daniel Levy reported the champions to the Premier League last month over alleged ‘tapping up’ of the player.
But a £28m deal will ultimately please both parties.
Spurs will be able to cash in on an asset who has drastically increased in value during his time at White Hart Lane – he cost £10.9m from Bayer Leverkusen two years ago – and who apparently no longer has a desire to play for them.
Meanwhile United will be able to secure a player they have coveted for some time, albeit for a hefty fee. But with Alex Ferguson yet to delve into the transfer market this summer, he still has transfer funds available to him.
Should Berbatov put pen to paper with United, his arrival is likely to herald the departure of injury-prone Louis Saha, who has been linked to Wigan and Sunderland.
And Spurs are expected to use the money to lure Russian duo Andrei Arshavin and Roman Pavlyuchenko to north London.
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