Old friends eye Berbatov return

by JP Lonergan , 28 December 2011

The representatives of Dimitar Berbatov have claimed that the Manchester United striker’s former club Bayer Leverkusen are keen on bringing him back to Germany.


Berbatov is fresh from scoring a glorious hat-trick for United in Monday’s 5-0 mauling of Wigan Athletic, however said treble came in just his second league start of the season for the club.

He scored his first league goal of the campaign as a sub in the previous week’s 5-0 demolition – that of Fulham – and has only scored six times in all competitions all season, meaning that his future at a club, where he has fallen behind Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck in the pecking order to start with Wayne Rooney, remains uncertain.

Berbatov's current deal runs out at the end of this campaign, though United coul exercise an option in it to renew for a further year.

However, it has now been suggested that the ex-Tottenham Hotspur man’s people have been talking to another of his old clubs as they look to clear up the future of their man.

"It's more than a rumour," Ivan Dobrinov one of the group which represents Berbatov, told Bild. "Leverkusen have it on their minds to get Berbatov.

"There is contact, but nothing concrete yet. It all depends on United's plans.

"We wait until January 2. Until then, United have the option but if that does not happen then Berbatov would be a free transfer in the summer.

"The player has never forgotten Leverkusen, the club is still very dear to him. Furthermore, he has a good relationship with the leadership at Bayer."

Leverkusen CEO Wolfgang Holzhauser added: "I would even say that the contact is friendly. But there is certainly nothing concrete at the moment.

"I also read that Manchester United would like to extend his contract."

A win over Chelsea helped Leverkusen into the last 16 of the Champions League, the final of which they reached in 2002 with a came from a much younger Berbatov.

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Pos
Team P W D L +/- PTS
1.
Man City
38
28
5
5
64
89
2.
Man Utd
38
28
5
5
56
89
3.
Arsenal
38
21
7
10
25
70
4.
Tottenham
38
20
9
9
25
69
5.
Newcastle
38
19
8
11
5
65
6.
Chelsea
38
18
10
10
19
64
7.
Everton
38
15
11
12
10
56
8.
Liverpool
38
14
10
14
7
52
9.
Fulham
38
14
10
14
-3
52
10.
West Brom
38
13
8
17
-7
47
11.
Swansea
38
12
11
15
-7
47
12.
Norwich
38
12
11
15
-14
47
13.
Sunderland
38
11
12
15
-1
45
14.
Stoke
38
11
12
15
-17
45
15.
Wigan
38
11
10
17
-20
43
16.
Aston Villa
38
7
17
14
-16
38
17.
QPR
38
10
7
21
-23
37
18.
Bolton
38
10
6
22
-31
36
19.
Blackburn
38
8
7
23
-30
31
20.
Wolverhampton
38
5
10
23
-43
25
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