This morning's Tottenham News

[RiverWire]

Spurs in fight over Boateng

Tottenham face competition from Newcastle, Manchester City and Charlton to sign 20-year-old Hertha Berlin midfielder Kevin Boateng.

Manager Martin Jol first sent scouts to watch the versatile Boateng in October, and a bid of around £4million could be enough.

Spurs are also keen on Toulouse forward Johan Elmander and Auxerre defender Younes Kaboul.

Source www.dailymail.co.uk


Dazzling debut season marks Berbatov out as Fergie's expensive miss


Sir Alex Ferguson may look back at his title winning season with only a few regrets. Missing out on a Champions League Final is the obvious example. Not signing Dimitar Berbatov when he had the chance last summer is likely to be another.

The Manchester United manager has admitted he is looking for three quality reinforcements in the summer and although Sportsmail reveals today that Samuel Eto’o of Barcelona is top of his wish-list, Berbatov is certainly on his radar.

Indeed, the former Bayer Leverkusen striker is likely to be the most coveted Premiership player in the transfer window given the start he has made to his career on these shores.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is also an admirer of a player who, at times, appears to be the closest thing to Arsenal’s Thierry Henry, although perhaps without the Frenchman’s lightning pace.

While United and Chelsea are realistically the only two teams with the financial wherewithal and kudos to tempt Berbatov, no one at Tottenham has the intention of parting company with the 26-year-old after his magnificent debut season.

Spurs manager Martin Jol is adamant Berbatov is happy in north London and does not view his time at White Hart Lane as a stepping stone to bigger things.

Thus, while Ferguson is predicted to have a £50million war chest at his disposal, Tottenham’s propensity to drive a hard bargain — just look at the £18.6m they prised from United for Michael Carrick — means any chance of landing Berbatov would blow a large hole in that budget.

That Ferguson did not make a concerted move for Berbatov last summer perhaps had much to do with the fact he could not predict what an impact the Bulgaria star would have, coupled with the fact that the future of Ruud van Nistelrooy was still up in the air when negotiations were ongoing.

There can be no doubts about Berbatov’s suitability for English football now — his performances in Europe for Spurs have helped take his goal tally to 22. The £10.9m Spurs paid Leverkusen already looks like a steal.

To his credit, Berbatov refused to have his head turned by the chance of playing at Old Trafford last year, given Tottenham’s long-standing interest and their dedication to pushing the deal through.

Now Jol must prove to Berbatov that Spurs’ ambitions can match those of his star attraction.

The Dutchman has been canny when offered the chance to heap praise on Berbatov for his achievements this season.

His cautious approach was in evidence in his post-match comments on Monday after Berbatov ended Charlton’s seven-year stay in the top flight with a typically classy goal before setting up Jermain Defoe for the visitors’ second.

Was Berbatov the best signing of he season? "Could be, could be. For us, he’s excellent quality," was Jol’s understated reply before setting his forward the task of netting 20 Premiership goals in the next campaign. He has managed 11 with one League game remaining this term.

In fairness to Berbatov, he does not strike you as the type to let the praise from opposition managers, players and pundits go to his head.

But Jol should be commended all the same for striving to keep his feet firmly on the ground. Not that Berbatov is short of fans inside the White Hart Lane dressing room.

"Priceless," was how Jermaine Jenas chose to describe his team-mate after his performance at The Valley, adding: "I’d love him to be English.

"He’s been brilliant for us. He puts in the work. When he does things like he did against Charlton they don’t come as a surprise to us because he’s been doing them day in, day out.

"We’re a club who are about building and if we want to keep pushing forward we need to keep players like Dimitar."

Berbatov’s strike partners Robbie Keane and Defoe would no doubt agree given that his talent for assists has been largely responsible for them netting 21 and 17 goals respectively.

Opposition defenders, while having suffered at the hands of Berbatov’s skills, are equally appreciative of his ability.

Being voted into the Professional Footballers’ Association Premiership Team of the Year is testament to the esteem in which he is held.

One defender who voted for him is Jonathan Woodgate and having been on the receiving end of Berbatov’s scoring touch twice this season, the Middlesbrough centre back said: "He scored a tremendous volley at our place and he was a constant threat all game.

"If Manchester United come in for him they will have to bid a hell of a lot of money. There’s bound to be a lot of speculation about where he’s going to play next season.

"It will show what kind of club Tottenham are, whether they decide to keep him or sell him."

Spurs fans will be eager to know the answer to that question, too. But if it cost Chelsea £31m to land Andriy Shevchenko, Berbatov’s price tag must now be in a similar bracket if either Mourinho or Ferguson decide to make their move for one the League’s hottest properties.

Source www.dailymail.com

Jenas: We must keep Berbatov

Jenas Jenas has become the latest Tottenham player to express a belief that Dimitar Berbatov must be kept at White Hart Lane.

Since arriving at Spurs in the summer from Bayer Leverkusen, Berbatov has established himself as a darling of the club's faithful and his performances have made a hefty £10.9million price tag look a snip.

The big Bulgarian is widely regarded to be one of the Premiership's top talents and a series of sublime displays, combining power and poise, have not gone unnoticed in powerful boardrooms across Europe.

Jenas, though, is understandably keen to line up alongside Berbatov next season and he has made an impassioned plea for his paymasters to resist any overtures from elsewhere.

"We don't want Berbatov to go anywhere," said Jenas.

"We are a club that's about building and pushing forward and if we want to keep doing that we have to keep Dimitar and I'm sure the club will do that.

"I think he's priceless after the way he's performed for the club this season. I think it will be tougher for him next year, but it was a great acquisition last summer.

"He's on fire at the moment. He puts in the work at the training ground and gets the rewards.

"His brilliance on the ball is nice to watch and he does things that defenders don't expect. That's what makes him so special."

Source www.skysports.com

Palermo star in demand - Agent

The 25-year-old twice-capped striker is set to leave his Serie A club this summer.

He has had a lean season in front of goal, scoring just three league goals, but agent Andrea D'Amico insists Caracciolo will be the subject of plenty of interest.

D'Amico told Teleradiostereo, an Italian radio station: "Caracciolo's exit from Palermo is practically inevitable.

"Andrea has interest not only in Italy, but in England from Tottenham, Everton and others, and in Scotland there is Rangers, who would like him as their centre forward."

Former Brescia man Caracciolo, who is 6ft 4in tall, could be seen as a suitable replacement for Croatian frontman Dado Prso. Prso will leave Rangers this summer after failing to make a full recovery from knee problems.

Rangers have already signed a new forward for next season, with Falkirk's Alan Gow committing to a pre-contract agreement which will see him become a Light Blues player, and have been linked with several strikers including Blackburn's Jason Roberts and Southampton's Grzegorz Rasiak.

Source www.teamtalk.com

[MadSue]

We must keep Berbie!

[spurslady]

Will be really naffed off if we do sell Berba feels like a lifetime to end of august 13 wks of tension :3:

[Cozzy]

if we sell berby then we have to be mugs !!!! hes one off the top forwards in the world from what i seen skill off the player cant put a price on him and the partnership with keane is one off the best in the league if not the best! build the team round him and we could have a few cups in the nexted few years for sure :5: :6: :5: :46:

[madsin]

its obveous it would be fools gold to sell The BerB.
its would be like selling guns to your enemy to buy a knife.
i think the decideing factor will be playing reguler football for tottenham or sitting on the bench at chelsea.
i dont think man u will be an option for him.
one year contracts suck in my opinon it should be mandatory 2 year.
but on that note doubling a players wages on the strenth of 1 season of football espechaly considering,
his work rate as aposed to the work rate of outher players like arron and robie seems more than a bit
wrong.
he,s a great player and ide love to see him next season in our shirt but lets not see some stupid ransom
payed to keep him.
it will i think come down to weather robbie keen stays as i think myself he brings out the best in berbertov,
and thats were tottenhams future lies.
i think build the team around keen he,s our future and he could make me look good up front he has so,
much vision.

[Twizzle]

geez, as if Man U dont have enough fire power already