[funkdoctorspock]

We'll see. The Spuds are now entertaining offers for Berba.

If United can't resign Brown, I'm sure a money plus Brown swap for Berbatov could be a realistic offer.

The Spuds backline is pretty bad and a Brown - King partnership would be very good imo.

Let's see what happens.

Again, my concerns with Berbatov have been littered throughout this thread so I won't repeat them again.

MANCHESTER United are poised to bid for Dimitar Berbatov after Tottenham effectively invited offers for the £25m-rated striker.

Sir Alex Ferguson is a long-time admirer of the Bulgarian hitman, who enhanced his already glowing reputation with four more goals for Spurs against Reading on Saturday.

The Reds boss was alerted to his potential availability when Juande Ramos admitted for the first time that Berbatov could be set to quit White Hart Lane.

"If it was up to me Dimitar would stay - but I cannot guarantee it," revealed Ramos.

Ferguson tried to sign the ex-Bayer Leverkusen striker in the summer and planned another raid at the end of the season.

But Spurs' revelation that they could be ready to accept offers for their prize asset has forced Ferguson's hand.

Sir Alex had suggested he would not be making any moves during the January transfer window - but he may have to alter his plans with Europe's top clubs now aware of Berbatov's availability.

Ramos confessed he cannot guarantee the future of any of his players at White Hart Lane.

"I can't do that for Berbatov or anybody else," he said. "In football everything is open and anything can happen. We want Berbatov to stay and our intention is that and we think he will. But to give assurances I don't do that neither for (Paul) Robinson, (Robbie) Keane or any other footballer.

Important

"He's not for sale and we don't want to sell him. This is the contractual situation at the moment."

"The chairman is working very hard to make sure he stays. He is a very important player for us."

But Ferguson believes he could hold the upper hand with contract rebel Wes Brown used as a potential makeweight in the deal.

The England defender has rejected a £50,000-a-week deal and will leave as a free agent in the summer.

Ferguson insists United won't up their offer and is tempted to recoup some money on Brown by moving him on in January.

He has already identified potential replacements for Brown - mulling over a £6m move for Rangers' Scotland international Alan Hutton and keeping close tabs on Reading's Nicky Shorey.

United will once again be irritated to have to fend off interest from Real Madrid for double footballer of the year Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Spanish champions look to have kicked off another media-generated campaign to unsettle the Portuguese international - making it known they are prepared to pay £50m to will him away from Old Trafford

But any move seems unlikely with Ronaldo contracted to United until 2012 and stating on numerous occasions that he is happy in Manchester.

Meanwhile, Ferguson has admitted there is a "massive chance" Arsenal will go on to take their Barclays Premier League crown.

The Scot regards being top at New Year as one of the season's significant milestones and that position is now occupied again by the Gunners, who won 4-1 at Everton to go two points clear after United had stumbled to a 2-1 defeat at West Ham.
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