Losing Dimitar Berbatov this summer will be a blow to Tottenham Hotspur, but an exit which won’t come as a major surprise to many of the fans. While there was always a glimmer of hope that the Bulgarian might be kept at White Hart Lane, it now appears as though a bid from Manchester United, so poorly disguised it had its own comic strip, not only confirms that at least one club are interested, but also they are pretty determined to land their man.

However, the Daily Mirror doesn’t make for happy reading today (does it ever?), reporting that Juande Ramos, Tottenham’s great Spanish hope seems to be preparing for Robbie Keane’s departure as well. With Liverpool rumoured to be in the hunt for the Irishman, Spurs fans will have been hoping for words of defiance from their gaffer. Instead they get this:

He said: “We’ll see how it will all end, but we are talking about two very important footballers. At the moment they’re with us but what will happen, will happen.

“People have to understand that this is a club that is on the stock market, a company that has to give accounts at the end of the day.”

Say it ain’t so, is Juande resigned to losing the pair who boshed in 50 goals for Tottenham last season? These exits would surely leave the North London club in a veritable pickle, perhaps Darren Bent will get his chance after all! Has the pre-season optimism already started to fade a jot for Spurs fans?