Manchester United Transfer News: Berbatov Could Leave for as Little as £5m

The Telegraph are reporting that Bulgarian and current Manchester United forward, Dimitar Berbatov, has been told by Sir Alex Ferguson that the club is willing to let him go for less than one-sixth the price that United signed him for.

Berbatov cost the Red Devils a whopping £30.7m when he signed from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2008. Since then, Dimitar has gone on to split opinion over his performances for United, with some stating that the 6'2" striker was just a big waste of money, whilst others argue his determination and skill with the ball at his feet were crucial in some key United victories. 

Whatever your stance on Berbatov, one thing is now seemingly indisputable—he will be leaving Old Trafford before the end of this summer's transfer window. It's a shame to see any player leave, but in this particular circumstance one cannot help but think United are letting an extremely gifted player go for relatively peanuts.

Perhaps Berbatov's best days are now behind him. Certainly he is unable to compete with the promising talent that United currently have going forward, at least in terms of pure potential. Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez, not to mention academy player Will Keane, all show immense promise for United, and with this in mind, perhaps it makes sense that Dimitar should finally bow out of Sir Alex's dressing room.

Unfortunately the big Bulgarian doesn't quite see it this way, and is apparently at a loss as to why he is no longer receiving regular match time. On his personal Facebook account, Berbatov said:

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"The truth is, I love this club, but I am not going to be useful to anyone if I am not playing.

And I want to play, I want to help, but for unknown reasons it’s not going to happen, or my chances will be limited, so it’s better for everyone if we say goodbye."

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Perhaps one aspect of Berbatov's game that has been called into question, by pundits and fans alike, is his apparent lack of effort or care for what is happening on the pitch. This has led some to believe that Berbatov is a selfish individual, who prides his own success above his teams. This statement gives us a very different look into the psyche of Dimitar.

It seems as though this really is a man who feels a strong connection with United, but is frustrated by his inability to help them. He continued to say:

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"If not, I am professional and I will keep doing everything I can, to help my team and my team-mates, whenever I have opportunity to do so." 

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If more footballers had this attitude when left on the sidelines, the game would certainly receive a lot more positive press from the neutrals. It's refreshing to see a player accepting rejection like this graciously, rather than going on a tirade about he is being underused and wasted.

Currently, there are no openly reported offers for Berbatov's contract, but with it set at such a low price, I would be extremely shocked if there weren't one or two being made in the coming weeks. For now though, the more positive United fans should be thanking Dimitar for four years of loyalty to the club and wishing him all the best on his future endeavours.