There is a trend amongst footballers involved in high-profile moves to claim that the transfer was less about money and more to do with ambition. While it’s easy to be sceptical in the vast majority of cases, perhaps Manchester United’s latest striker is being earnest.
The Guardian reports that Dimitar Berbatov is starting to settle in at Old Trafford, it is believed that he’s already invested in a high-quality umbrella after taking advice from new team-mate Nemanja Vidic. The Bulgarian has also revealed that United and Manchester City weren’t the only clubs interested in bagging him this summer, although it’s no surprise that Chelsea were willing to part wih a huge chunk of cash as well.
“The red shirt is a really, really big thing for me,” he said. “I want to play for the biggest club in the world. That is why I am here. I play to enjoy, to entertain the fans, I don’t play just for money. If I wanted to play just for money I would have accepted Manchester City’s offer or Chelsea’s.”
Berbatov acknowledged that his last few months at Tottenham had been unpleasant. “I was going through very difficult times,” he said, “but I always believed that [the transfer was] going to happen and in the end it did. People used to say, ‘Keep the faith’. Now I’m the happiest guy in the world. I’m 27 and it’s my time. This is maybe the last step in my career. I’m at the biggest club in the world and here I can develop.”
It sounds as though City and Chelsea were prepared to offer him a handsome salary if he switched his allegiance, and Sir Alex Ferguson will be heartened to hear of Berba’s passion for the club, not just the Yankee dollar. Will the striker become a United legend?