Manchester United Transfer Window: United Should Sell Dimitar Berbatov Now

Dimitar Berbatov has made just four Premier League starts all season for Manchester United.

Tell me, why would they hold onto him? Sentimental value?

Recent reports have numerous teams interested in the 30-year-old forward before the January transfer window closes at the end of the month. According to ESPN, Berbatov has been linked to former club Bayer Leverkusen, as well as Bayern Munich and Anzhi Makhachkala.

United, of course, can exercise his option and keep him around for another year. And if this were any other season, that would be the logical choice—keeping a player who has served United well.

But this is 2012 and Berbatov is clearly not a major player for United anymore. That's why United needs to sell him this transfer window and go about moving forward. There's absolutely no sense keeping a player around that's not in the club's master plan when United could bring aboard prospects they've been eying.

This is what separates the forward-thinkers from the clubs who fail to capitalize in pivotal points of their season. Arsenal, despite falling on harder times, did make the right decision selling Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri in the summer because they wouldn't have been able to keep them in the long run anyway. And while it hurts to lose such players, there's no reason to keep them around if they aren't a good fit or want to go elsewhere. It keeps a team stagnant instead of having a clear picture moving forward.

United is in second place despite rarely using Berbatov. Why not sell him and position yourself even better for the future? Manchester City has obviously been reborn and United needs to do everything it can to ensure it won't fall to its neighbors from here on out.

Selling Berbatov now would put United in a good place down the road.