Manchester United forward Dimitar Berbatov would be open to a move to AC Milan, his agent has stated.
The Bulgarian attacker is seemingly surplus to requirements at Old Trafford, with Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck ahead of him in the pecking order.
The eastern European hitman has admitted this week that he may have to leave the Red Devils to secure regular first-team football, and has been linked with a move to the Rossoneri.
Agent Emil Dantchev has stated that his client would relish a move to Serie A and Massimiliano Allegri’s men.
“He may leave Manchester United at any time. His most likely destination is Italy, he’s always loved Italian football,” Dantchev told calciomercato.com, translated to English by Sky Sports.
“I know that Milan and Juventus are looking for a striker. I can say that they are two big clubs.
“I cannot say much but I do say that Berbatov likes Milan and looks good in red and black. Dimitar would run to AC Milan, because the club have appreciated him for years.
“They will have to speak with Manchester United and start negotiations,” he confessed.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Berbatov scored nine goals in 21 appearances for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men last term.
Real Madrid assistant coach Aitor Karanka has admitted that Luka Modric would fit in well at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Croatia international has stated his desire to leave Tottenham after the White Hart Lane club failed to qualify for the Champions League for the second consecutive season.
Spurs are willing to listen to offers for their key midfielder, but will not compromise on their asking price, believed to be in the £40 million region.
As talks between the clubs continue, Karanka has admitted that Modric is a player that fits into Madrid’s footballing mentality.
“Which club would not want a player like him?” he told AS, translated to English by The Daily Mail.
“He is an outstanding footballer and had a great tournament (Euro 2012). It is clear that he would fit in Madrid.”
Modric has been identified as Kaka’s potential replacement in the Spanish capital, but Karanka also said that the Brazil international would not be sold.
“We decided he would stay in Madrid. Kaka and the club are working to find a good solution for all parties,” he concluded.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Imagine just having a casual walk down the street – you see a City fan wearing his new shirt proudly – what do you think ‘glory supporter. ’ You see a Chelsea fan in a pub with a shirt that says ‘Legend’ on the back, followed by a number 11. Again the first thing that comes into your mind is the fan is somewhat of a glory supporter. Not a die-hard fan, but someone on a whim, who cares little about the club apart from the trophies they have achieved. Likewise, the age old joke, most United fans live in London – yet are these actually fair claims, or are they what can only be described as an insult to the born and bred fans?
Don’t get me wrong, I am fully aware of the ‘prawn sandwich brigade’ type of supporters, who are only interested in fun filled away trips in Europe or a big game to discuss on the golf course the following Monday, yet what about those real fans – the ones who would describe it was a total insult to be a dreaded ‘glory supporter?’
There are Chelsea fans who remember the days before Abramovich and his Russian billions took over the club, for whom the victory in Munich will only ever tie with a Jesper Gronkjaer goal against Liverpool to save the club and get fourth place in the Premier League.
Not to mention the City fans who were there for the second division play-off final against Gillingham many blue moons ago – leaving it late far, far before the days of Aguero goals, and of all the clubs it is perhaps City fans who take the tag hardest.
These are by no means the only clubs who’s fans get such a tag – any club that has recently come into money or trophies – or usually both – suffer the same fate, and ironically you will find that the genuine fans are the ones who hate the new breed of supporters at their clubs the most.
The running joke last season for new City fans was that they had come by their shirt by putting their old Chelsea one in the wash on a high heat to dye out the dark blue – how insulting to real fans, yet such a valid accusation for the new breed, who when it looked like City were about to lose out on the title were about to declare they had loved United all along.
It is such a fine line in modern football, where loyalty from the players is also a thing of the past in most clubs, and you don’t get many like Craig Bellamy who would play at a club they loved for half the money they were being offered elsewhere – it is somewhat mercenary these days, and in some cases this is the situation for fans too.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Of course, all clubs no matter how small have their die-hard fans – those Rangers fans who will turn out every week for third tier Scottish football, or the Leeds fans who were their when they were splashing the cash and are still there now, and it is full credit to them, and they are the people who keep the clubs going, not the new influx of fans each season who come armed with their ‘Champions’ shirt and prawn sandwich, and it is those fans who rightly feel aggrieved when asked exactly how long they have supported the club – they are about as far away from a glory hunter as you can get.
The Barclays Premier League may only be a couple of weeks old, but even by the notoriously fickle standards of our fabled top flight, we haven’t half heard some wild conclusions already. After two games, Andre Villas-Boas’ project is apparently already doomed to failure, Arsenal are set to become the first English team to finish a season goalless and Wayne Rooney’s Manchester United future is up the swanny.
Now while the above can be said for the most part with tongue firmly in cheek, it appears that a few people have given some serious credence to a perceived degradation to Rooney’s United career. In fact, the whispers and speculation have become so prominent in the last few days, that the man himself has had to come out and reassure fans his future lies at Old Trafford.
How could a man who scored 35 goals in all competitions for the Red Devils last season and someone widely regarded to be one of the best forwards in Europe, possibly be consigned to the scrapheap after the first two games of the season?
On paper, it seems to be verging on the absurd and in reality; it appears pretty far-fetched as well. But football isn’t as simple as black and white or facts and figures. As the 26-year-old faces at least a month out after his gory leg gash against Fulham, there is every chance that it could turn out to be a bigger blow for the player than it could be for his club.
This summer has seen, in some ways, history repeat itself for the nation’s most talented footballer. Not for the first time, Wayne Rooney found himself heading into a major tournament on the back of a superb goal scoring season. Rooney scored 27 league goals last term, one more than his pre-World Cup 2010 haul, to find himself heading into Euro 2012 with the weight of serious expectation upon his shoulders. This is the national team of course – it was never going to be any different.
And as in 2010, Rooney duly failed to live up to the burden of expectation, even if it was in slightly different circumstances to the farcical performances in South Africa. Suspended for the first two games, Rooney came into Roy Hodgson’s set-up woefully short of match fitness and seemed to be visibly blowing after half an hour against Ukraine in the final group game. Two consecutive tournaments, two consecutively poor Rooney showings.
But concerningly for Manchester United, that’s not where history has stopped repeating itself. After his World Cup disaster, Rooney endured a nightmare return to domestic football. A whole array of issues, including revelations about his private life, an ankle injury and that contract debacle, affected his form. But he still seemed to be lacking fitness and match sharpness in abundance. It wasn’t the Rooney of the season before. How much you contribute that to conflicting factors is arguable, but he seemed to have trouble adapting back after the World Cup.
So you can imagine Sir Alex Ferguson was mortified when he saw Rooney’s showing against Barcelona in their pre-season friendly at the start of the month. Rooney missed a penalty that wouldn’t have gone down particularly well, but he again looked well short of match fitness – in August. Rooney had sat out the bulk of United’s pre-season preparations as he was supposed to be undergoing an intense, in-house fitness regime at Carrington. No one is claiming United’s fitness staff haven’t been up to the task, but something seems to have gone wrong down the line.
Consequently, his nasty injury at Fulham last Saturday could not have come at a worse time. The only way he can regain sharpness and form is with long, hard game-time, of which he seemed to be in dire need of. Spending anything from four to a possibly touted eight weeks on the sidelines is an absolute nightmare for Rooney. If he really was behind in pre-season, then he is going to have to put in a monumental shift during his rehabilitation this time round.
But it’s here that we get into uncharted territory for Rooney and Manchester United. Because for the first time in his career, there is a genuine chance that he will have to battle to get back into the first team line up.
You can always make wild assumptions from 120 minutes of football, but few would argue that Manchester United have looked a far better prospect when Rooney has been off the pitch for them, rather than on it. It’s not rocket science to work out why, either.
When you invest £24million in a striker, as Fergie did in Robin van Persie, you tend to play him. When that man scored 37 goals in all competitions last year, you definitely play him. And when he links up as tantalizingly as he has done with fellow new boy Shinji Kagawa, you don’t look elsewhere. Including to Wayne Rooney. Ferguson took the bold move of dropping Rooney after his sub-standard showing in the 1-0 defeat to Everton, in favour of his new Dutch and Japanese additions. The fact is, even if Rooney hadn’t got injured during the weekend, he’d probably be back on the bench for this weekend’s trip to Southampton.
Equally, as much as we are reading a lot into Rooney’s tentative minutes on a football pitch this season, we are also reading more than enough into Van Persie and Kagawa’s time in United shirts. They are both class and acts and surely have wonderful seasons ahead of them this term. But regardless of why that is, Rooney cannot be fully judged until he’s been given the chance to try and shine with the pair fully fit. The problem is, that if they push on like many expect them too, he could struggle to find the chance.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Many are quick to bash Rooney with his often-disappointing exploits for his country but he remains a class act for Manchester United. And if anyone is going to be able to hold their own and fight back from adversity, it will be Rooney. But this United team appears to be evolving. We’ve seen flashpoints of a new, seemingly more mobile and fluid Manchester United side. Quite how Rooney, Kagawa and Van Persie can co-exist in the same team, remains to be seen. One things for sure, if the newly signed duo fire United to the top of the table in Rooney’s absence, he is going to be under real pressure to perform when he gets his chance.
It’s going to be hugely interesting to see how this United team shapes up and exists when Rooney does return. It seems uneasy and wide of the mark to even speculate about his possible departure as many are currently indulging in at the moment. But if he does face a fight to get back into the starting XI again, he’s going to have to get his head down and worker harder than he arguably ever has before. Certainly harder than what we’ve seen since the end of last term, anyway.
How do you view Rooney’s role in this new look Manchester United team? Does he need to raise his game or is it all a load of overblown nonsense? Tell me what you think on Twitter: follow @samuel_antrobus and bat me your views.
Manchester United welcome Wigan to Old Trafford this Saturday, but look set to be without new signings Robin Van Persie and Shinji Kagawa.
Van Persie was withdrawn at half time of the Netherlands 4-1 World Cup qualifying win against Hungary on Tuesday, with a suspected thigh injury, however Dutch coach Louis Van Gaal played down the injury after the match.
“We took off Robin for precautionary measures,” he said.
“It doesn’t seem to be too serious, but you never know. We didn’t want to take any risks.”
Van Persie has been in deadly form since arriving at Old Trafford, netting four goals already including a hat trick during United’s 3-2 win over Southampton in their last Premier League match.
Any sort of injury setback would be a blow for Sir Alex Ferguson, who is already without the injured Wayne Rooney.
Meanwhile Kagawa was forced to withdraw from Japan’s World Cup qualifier against Iraq, complaining of a pain in the lower back.
United have yet to hit their best this season, losing to Everton and picking up slightly fortuitous 3-2 victories at home to Fulham and then away at Southampton, having fallen behind in both games.
Meanwhile Wigan have made a decent start to the season, and are unbeaten in their last two league matches.
Roberto Martinez has heaped praise this week on Argentine striker Franco Di Santo, often much maligned during his time in English football.
The former Chelsea man has two goals to his name so far this season, and Martinez is even optimistic his striker is ready to make the step up to International football.
“I think Franco can be a massive striker for Argentina,” he said.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“He has always had that potential but it’s the way he put all the parts of his game together in the last four months of last season that has really been so impressive.”
Prediction: Manchester United 3-1 Wigan
[divider]
Complete the survey below to be in with the chance of winning a football shirt of your choice…
Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world’s leading questionnaire tool.
David Meyler says skipper Lee Cattermole doesn’t need to change his ways, despite a fifth red card for Sunderland.
Cattermole’s status as Black Cats captain is under threat after a moment of idiocy saw the 24 year old see red for a reckless two-footed lunge on Adam Chicksen, in the Wearsiders 2-0 win over MK Dons.
A divisive figure among fans, Meyler claims Cattermole doesn’t need to radically change his game, he told The Journal: “Everyone who knows Lee Cattermole knows he plays with his heart on his sleeve.
“It was just a ball that he went for and thought he could win. The referee decided it was a red card and I’m sure the club will look back on it and see what they think. But Lee is gutted himself because he always wants to do everything he can to help the team.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“It’s done now there’s nothing anyone can do. It’s not something we’ll not spend too long thinking about as players.”
Manchester United’s Anderson has told the Daily Star that his club will lose out when Sir Alex Ferguson eventually retires.
The 24-year-old Brazilian reiterated that Sir Alex would be missed in the world of football, and particularly by United.
“Manchester United is Alex Ferguson. When he leaves, the club will lose 30 to 40 per cent. So much depends on him.
“He’s a father to all the players, a very respected person and when he retires, the football world will really feel his loss.
“He always helped me, and I have a great affection for him. He lives for training and always wants to know how his players and their families are,” he said.
Now aged 70, Fergie has managed United for a period of 26 years, and has been invaluable to the club, leading United to massive success with numerous titles including five FA Cups, 12 Premier League trophies and two Champions League titles.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
However, rumour is growing that he is getting nearer to making the decision to retire from the game.
Manchester City are reluctant to offer star player Yaya Toure a new contract, according to Mirror Football.
The midfielder is one of the Premier League’s top earners, receiving £150,000-per-week in basic pay, which could rise to 220k based upon appearance and performance bonuses.
Toure’s current deal expires in 2015, by which time the Ivory Coast international will be 32 and could have his best playing days behind him. The powerful midfielder’s representatives have been seeking a new deal to keep him at the Etihad Stadium amid rumours that the player could leave in the summer.
However, club officials are in no rush to extend Toure’s contract, despite him being somewhat of a talisman for the Citizens. They would prefer to hold off any negotiations until the end of next season when the player will only have a year left on his contract.
City team mates Vincent Kompany and David Silva have both been handed long-term contracts by the club already this season, however neither are in the top bracket of earners at the club which includes the likes of Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero and Toure.
Toure’s agent Dimitri Seluk has a track record of linking his player with other top European clubs. Two days after the reigning champions won the league last season, Seluk announced: “Toure has done all he can do at City and needs new motivations. He would like a new challenge. He would not cost much.
“He could sign for many big clubs, like Chelsea or Bayern Munich. We would like to see Barcelona join the race.”
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Should Toure’s contract issues not be resolved by the Club, the player could move on at the end of the season.
Per Mertesacker feels Arsenal must quickly regain the strength they had before the international break after two shock defeats in a row.
It has been suggested that the break to allow for international matches has adversely affected the players. The Gunners had been doing well before the break, including securing a draw with champions from last season, Manchester City and a 3-1 win at West Ham.
However, after returning from the break for international matches, Arsenal have had two shock losses, in the Premier League to Norwich and in Tuesday night’s Champions League clash with Schalke, where they went down 2-0, with the German side replacing them at the top of their Champions League group.
In many quarters, the Gunners have been criticised for seeming to be ‘asleep’ in the two performances. Talking to Arsenal’s official website, defender Mertesacker said how Arsenal need to come back from the defeats and become strong again.
“We have had a difficult week. The results are kind of an accident, now we have to find our game again. The international break was kind of a killer for us. We have to find our strength again quickly. We have the potential in us, but first we have to fight,” he said.
Mertesacker feels the Gunners must now learn from the defeats and get back their self-confidence.
“We have to learn quickly from what happened [at Norwich last weekend] and against Schalke. If we do not find these solutions, it’s going to be difficult in the Premier League and the Champions League.
“It is our task now to find our self-confidence, we have great players with great potential. So it will be good to have a game in three days so we can show our potential again. We will try to be positive before the next game.
“In our training sessions, we will look to get our confidence back. Sometimes you need one game to find your strength and quality so let’s do it on Saturday.”
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Steve Bould, the assistant coach, expressed after Tuesday’s game how the players were lacking confidence, but the club’s fans will be hoping they can reverse this slump against QPR this weekend.
Liverpool attacker Dani Pacheco has warned the club he may be forced to move on if he isn’t given more playing time.
The 21-year-old Spaniard has been limited to a handful of Europa League performances this season, whilst rival youth players such as Suso and Raheem Sterling have featured regularly.
Pacheco believes he can still become a key figure at the club, but needs to be given first-team football by Brendan Rodgers:
“I haven’t played as much as I would like this season, but in football things can change very quickly.” He told the Liverpool Echo.
“Look at what’s happened with Suso. He was given a chance and he took it. He has worked really hard and has been playing every week. He is doing very well and I’m happy for him.
“I must try to do the same. I hope I’ll get a chance and then it’s down to me to take it.
“I train with the first team every day and if I didn’t have the belief that I could become a regular here I would have left already.
“I’ll try to make sure that in the near future that happens. If it doesn’t happen I will move on and try to make it somewhere else.
“But I still hope and believe I can make it at Liverpool.”
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Pacheco moved to Anfield from Barcelona in 2007 with the reputation as one of Spain’s top emerging talents.
He has failed to fulfil this billing, drifting in and out of the first-team squad under numerous managers.
He spent last season on loan with Atletico Madrid, who subsequently lent him out to Rayo Vallecano, but the Spaniards refused to make the deal permanent.