Berbatov: Better for everyone if I leave

15 July 2012 21:17

Dimitar Berbatov believes it would be "better for everyone" if he left Manchester United this summer.

Berbatov's four-year stay at Old Trafford looks to be coming to a close after he found himself outside manager Sir Alex Ferguson's first-team plans last season. The 31-year-old managed just 12 league appearances last term, scoring seven goals, a year after he was the Barclays Premier League's equal top-scorer.

Berbatov has now hinted he had given up hope of remaining at United, despite admitting he would like to see out his the final year of his deal. He wrote on his official Facebook page: "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."

He added: "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.

"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."

A host of clubs are apparently already circling to acquire the services of a player who cost United £30million when he signed from Tottenham four years ago.

Reports have suggested that United have slapped a price tag of £10million on Berbatov's head, although the striker claimed Ferguson had told him the figure was half of that amount.

"Because I am tired of speculation, I am telling you this," he wrote. "I read the papers and I see they say 10 million pounds is my price. I go and talk with Sir Alex, and he says to me 5 million. So who is telling the truth, what do you think?"

Berbatov has scored 48 league goals at United, helping them to two Premier League titles, but his Old Trafford future has been in doubt since he was left out of the squad for the 2010-11 Champions League final against Barcelona at Wembley.

Last season he found himself behind Wayne Rooney and young strikers Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez in the pecking order, although he served a reminder of his goalscoring class with a hat-trick against Wigan on Boxing Day.

Source: PA