Real Madrid Offer Milan Late Bid For Kaka - Report

As the Kaka transfer drama rumbles on, Real Madrid are attempting to throw a late spanner in the works.

According to the News Of The World, the club contacted Kaka's father on Friday night and signalled their intent to sign the player.

Real Madrid are willing to match Manchester City's record-breaking €120 million bid, but they will not go anywhere near the estimated €562,000-a-week wages that City are said to be offering.

In their favour, however, is the fact that Kaka appears reluctant to move to a club that does not play at the highest level, a platform that Real Madrid can guarantee.
In addition, a move to the Bernabeu would only materialise in the summer, after their club elections, allowing the Brazilian star to play out the season at Milan.

Arjun Miglani, Goal.com

Hleb: Signing Cesc would be absolutely Fab for Barcelona

Barcelona midfielder Alexander Hleb admits he has been trying to persuade former Arsenal team-mate Cesc Fabregas to join him at the Nou Camp.

Spain international Fabregas vowed earlier this week that he would one day like to return to Barca, the club he left to join Arsenal in 2003, and for Hleb that day can not come soon enough.

The way things were: Cesc Fabregas and former Gunners team-mate Alex Hleb

Hleb moved to Barca this summer after three seasons at the Gunners, and the Belarus ace would be delighted if the highly-coveted Fabregas followed suit.

Hleb said in El Mundo Deportivo: "We get on very well on and off the pitch. For me he is like a brother. We call each other a lot to talk about things.

"He tells me he misses me at Arsenal and, without wanting to detract from anyone, I would love it if he came to Barca to be a part of all this.

"I don't stop insisting that he should return to Barca and he doesn't stop insisting that he is very happy at Arsenal and with Arsene Wenger.

"I will keep boring him until he changes his mind. If in the end he listens to me, I think it would be great for Barcelona."

Alonso too slow for Juventus

Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri says Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso is too slow.

Ranieri was close to signing the Spaniard in the summer and the former Chelsea boss has now revealed the reason.

He said: “He was a player we wanted.

“But he is a player, who even though he is an extraordinary man and a great professional, left me perplexed by the slowness of his movement in midfield.

“In the midfield of Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool, where all of them are little soldiers, he finds himself in a fantastic position.

“But in our midfield, he would have found it hard to support the midfield line seeing as Mauro Camoranesi and Pavel Nedved are not players that come back to give support like Liverpool’s wingers.”

[Source: The Sun]

Podolski Closer To Exit Door

Lukas Podolski appears to have pulled a “Robinho” after declaring publicly last week that he is unhappy at Bayern Munich due to his lack of playing time on the pitch and he could now find himself spending even more time off it.

The 23 year old signed for the Bavarian giants back in 2006 and he has so far failed to nail down a regular first team place, despite being a near automatic first choice for his country.

His outburst is unlikely to change the situation at club level as head coach Jürgen Klinsmann continues to leave him on the bench in preference of Miroslav Klose and Luca Toni upfront.

And Klinsmann’s words during a press conference regarding the issue did not sound particularly too supportive of the player.

“Podolski has to compete with two giant strikers and he has yet to demonstrate that he is better than them,” he was quoted by Marca.

“To become a great player, like those two strikers, is a long process that requires time. And in Podolski case, we are talking about months, even years.

“It is an unpleasant situation for Lukas because he will never be happy being a substitute,” Klinsmann explained.

Real Madrid have been lined up as favourites to land the Polish-born star but with Manchester City also supposedly interested in the youngster, Los Merengues could lose out if they maintain their present stance not to sign any new players during the winter transfer period.

KS Leong

City set to be thwarted as Kaká pledges future to Milan

Kaká has poured cold water on speculation that he could join Brazil team-mate Robinho at Manchester City by pledging his future to Milan.

Kaká, the reigning World Player of the Year, was linked with a move away from the San Siro this summer following Milan's failure to qualify for the Champions League, with Chelsea his rumoured destination.

However with City's new owners, the super-rich Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), determined to sign the cream of the world's talent, speculation has been rife that the Eastlands club - who achieved a major coup in beating Chelsea to Robinho's signature - could once again be about to frustrate Roman Abramovich in the transfer market.

Kaká, though, whose contract with Milan runs until 2013, insists that he remains committed to the club. "Before it was Real Madrid, now it's England that is in fashion," said the Brazil playmaker. "The market is like that, just as Milan make offers, other clubs make offers to Milan. But I will never ask to leave.

"I have always been treated well by [the club] executives and my rapport is excellent. Perhaps one day they may change their approach with respect to me but I don't see that happening. I will only leave if Milan decide to sell me or perhaps on the day when we no longer have the same objectives, and that day has not come."

Kaká could join the City revolution

The world's number one footballer, Kaká, will consider joining Manchester City next summer if the newly enriched club achieve their initial target of Champions League qualification.

Since last Sunday, City have been under the control of the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), a vehicle of a Middle East sovereign wealth fund whose representatives have promised to turn them into 'the biggest club in the world, bigger than both Real Madrid and Manchester United' by pursuing 'the biggest players in the world'.

Kaká, Fifa's current World Player of the Year, has been seeking an exit from AC Milan and thought he would be allowed to leave for Chelsea during the summer. Milan ultimately decided against selling the 26-year-old Brazilian, but he believes the club will sanction a 100m euros transfer in a year's time.

'Kaká would prefer a club like Chelsea, Real Madrid or Milan, but we never know,' Kaká's representative Diogo Kotscho told The Observer. 'This season Manchester City do not have a team to win the Champions League. Maybe next season they can get into that competition - they have the prospects to be good enough. What they need to have is a big project to win the Premier League and the Champions League. It's not just about Kaká, they will only get the very best players if they attain this level. It was the same with Chelsea a few years ago - they had to prove themselves too.

'I think Manchester City are headed in the right direction, but they have big work to do. It's no easy thing to reach the same level as the biggest clubs in the world, and it's not just about money - you have to spend it properly and build a great team. In two or three years they can be there if they do the right things.'

In their first 24 hours as City's owners ADUG lodged British record bids of more than £30m each for Tottenham's Dimitar Berbatov, Valencia's David Villa and Real Madrid's Robinho, forcing up Manchester United's expenditure on Berbatov and stealing Robinho from Chelsea's grasp. His acquisition was also intended to provide a star name with which to promote City in the Far East.

ADUG's takeover is also understood to have caught club officials off guard. In the days preceding City's purchase, new chief executive Garry Cook had said that though the club were seeking investment, they were not for sale. Instead, Thaksin Shinawatra accepted an offer of around £200m for a club whose expenditure he could no longer afford to service. The final price will not be settled until ADUG complete due diligence on the club's books and the deal could fall through if significant problems are uncovered.

Though Thaksin's price demands almost resulted in ADUG withdrawing from the purchase last Sunday, the former Thai prime minister could profit by as much as £80m for his 14 months as owner. Thaksin has been allowed to retain a 10 per cent stake in the company and an honorary position on the board.

ADUG forms part of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, a sovereign wealth fund managing an estimated $500bn worth of assets. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan drove the move into Premier League football as a means of promoting the emirate abroad.

The contractors on Liverpool's postponed new stadium project have denied they are considering legal action against the club. Liverpool announced an indefinite delay on construction of the £300m Anfield replacement last month, blaming 'global market conditions' yet promising to investigate increasing the stadium's capacity by 13,000 seats to 73,000.

Liverpool have been able to begin only preliminary work on the site at Stanley Park, resulting in the European Union withdrawing grants to fund the regeneration of the surrounding area.

Though not specifically asked about the possibility of suing Liverpool over the delays, a spokesperson for contractors Laing O'Rourke said: 'Laing O'Rourke continues to work closely with Liverpool FC in order to achieve their ambitions of constructing the new football stadium. Laing O'Rourke further wishes to clarify that it has not considered legal action against Liverpool FC.'

Liverpool's American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, face a January deadline for refinancing the £350m loan with which they have been running the club. A Dubai-based investment fund remain prepared to buy them out for around £500m, including that debt.

Torres: I Would Never Follow Robinho

The 22-year-old defender is still a fan of the Brazilian's talent but was not impressed with his actions since the end of last season and thinks that he was badly advised.

Madrid president Ramón Calderón blamed Robinho's advisor, Vagne Ribeiro, for holding a press conference where he said he wanted to leave and Torres stated that he could never have done that.

"I would never accept something like that. My dad and my uncle take care of my affairs -the latter is a lawyer-. That says it all," he told AS.

"I do not like commissions and the club knows my family will never treat this as business. I play for Real Madrid; what more could I ask for?

"Robinho is a great player, but we all have to row in the same direction."

Torres was still earning €30,000-per-year after he mhad made 20 first team appearances for Madrid and valued his place in the team more than worrying about a bigger contract.

"There is no merit in it. I value a quality lifestyle, not material things. I prefer to be close to my family, in my own city and on the team I love than to earn a lot of money," he continued.

"I signed for what they offered. I would have signed for even less. Money doesn't rule my life."

Torres was then outraged when asked whether he felt that Raúl was losing his touch and could no longer command a regular place in the first team.

"Of course he is not! He is the most natural guy I have ever met and the player who has given me the most advice. I'm sure he will help Real Madrid return to Cibeles this year."

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Cesc Says No To City

Cesc has given a pre-emptive response to any future advances cash-filled Manchester City may make for him by declaring that he will never join the Eastlands club.

The 21 year old Arsenal man, back in Spain for his country’s World Cup qualifiers told Barcelona-based daily Sport bluntly: "It would be suicidal for my career at my 21 years of age to move to City. It would make no sense."

The Citizens, currently owned by Abu Dhabi United Group, have already been linked to a number of the world’s biggest and best players including Ruud van Nistlerooy, Fernando Torres, Kaká and Gianluigi Buffon.

goal.com

Happy Pav: Bye Bye, Berba!

Berbatov completed a £31million switch to Manchester United just prior to the close of the transfer window, bringing an end to months of speculation and controversy.

The Bulgarian striker left White Hart Lane on less than amicable terms, as he essentially refused to play until the Spurs board agreed to let him move to Old Trafford.

The Lilywhites were reluctant to let the 27-year-old leave without first securing a replacement, but Pavlyuchenko's weekend arrival allowed the deal to go through.

And the Russian international will shed no tears at Berbatov's departure.

"I can’t really say anything about Berbatov leaving," he said in The Sun. "Let them all go then I’ll play. It’s good for me!"

Pavlyuchenko is also delighted to link up with Tottenham manager Juande Ramos, who has made no secret of the 26-year-old's central role in his grand plans.

"I’ve talked to Juande Ramos. He’s a nice man," the former Spartak Moscow striker added.

"He said he’s going to rely upon me. He played quite a big role in my transfer."

Manchester City plan £135m bid for Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester City's new billionaire owners are planning a world-record £135m bid for Cristiano Ronaldo in the January transfer window before turning their sights to, among others, Fernando Torres of Liverpool and Cesc Fábregas of Arsenal. "Ronaldo has said he wants to play for the biggest club in the world, so we will see in January if he is serious," said Dr Sulaiman Al-Fahim, of the Abu Dhabi United Group.

Al-Fahim also re-iterated that he would investigate the potential availability of the former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry, Valencia's David Villa and the former Brazil international Ronaldo to join Robinho in a "dream team" that would be able to challenge for the Champions League within two or three years.

However, he identified United's Ronaldo as the biggest challenge for the billionaire tycoons, backed by members of the United Arab Emirates royal family, who have taken control of the club from Thaksin Shinawatra. "Real Madrid were estimating his value at $160m (£90m) but for a player like that, to actually get him, will cost a lot more; I would think $240m (£135m). But why not? We are going to be the biggest club in the world, bigger than both Real Madrid and Manchester United."

In all probability, City's chances of persuading Ronaldo to forget about moving to Real Madrid and decide instead to swap Old Trafford for Eastlands - or 'Middle Eastlands', as some City fans have started referring to it - are, at best, miniscule. Yet City's remarkable signing of Robinho from Real Madrid, for a British record £32.5m, just before Sunday's transfer deadline has already sent shockwaves through the sport, and Al-Fahim insisted the club would be willing to pay United three times the world transfer record, set in 2001 when Zinedine Zidane moved from Juventus to Real Madrid. "We want a team who can win the Champions League," he added.

Al-Fahim also confirmed that Torres and Fábregas were among his targets as City look to bring in a "minimum 18" players. "We're not just going to spend money on anyone, but if we can get the biggest players in the world, and of course if the manager wants them, then we will get them," he said.

Robinho arrived in London on Tuesday for a brief meeting with Mark Hughes to conclude the transfer - even though he has yet to take the usually routine medical examination - before flying out to join up with the Brazil national squad for Monday's World Cup qualifier against Chile. The 24-year-old has agreed a four-year contract that makes him the highest-paid footballer in the history of the game, with a weekly salary of £160,000.

Ronaldo could conceivably be offered twice that amount but it could also be argued that City's pursuit of the twice footballer-of-the-year also demonstrates a degree of naivety on the part of the new owners. United's reaction was one of bemusement, a spokesman saying "we have made it clear all summer that Cristiano is not for sale".

Scolari's Robinho Rage

The Blues had been odds-on to land the Brazilian superstar after he declared his desire to leave Real Madrid sign on at Stamford Bridge.

Los Merengues had accepted a £28.4million bid and the deal was all but complete when Chelsea's impatience effectively scuppered the transaction.

The London giants jumped the gun to disastrous effect when they began selling shirts emblazoned with Robinho's name through their online shop last week.

That was enough to tip the Spanish champions over the edge in what was already a tense negotiation process, and the initial deal fell through.

Scolari made no secret of his admiration for Robinho and singled out the 24-year-old as the one player he hoped to sign this summer after landing Deco from Barcelona.

The former Brazil coach attempted to play it cool, insisting it made no difference if he captured the ex-Santos prodigy or not, but Chelsea sources suggest otherwise.

“He is too professional to make a fuss but this is a blow,”  an insider told The Sun.

Further fuelling Scolari's wrath is the fact Chelsea turned down the opportunity to land Robinho on deadline day.

Los Blancos had accepted a bid of £32.5million from newly cashed-up City and challenged the Blues to match it - but the Premier League powerhouses were not willing to stump up the extra £4million.

Hence, the Selecao star made his may to Eastlands instead in an English record transfer, while Scolari was left demanding answers from chief executive Peter Kenyon and owner Roman Abramovich.

The source added: “It’s no secret that Chelsea has paid a lot of money for players in the last few years.

“Some of those players have been successful and others not so.

“Felipe understands the budget has a limit but feels that he did not ask too much of the club.

“He bought Deco for £8million and made it clear how important Robinho was to his plans for the season.

“So he is entitled to feel let down that the club would not increase its offer by £4m to get the player.”

Cecil Braun

Pavlyuchenko signs for Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the signing of Russia striker AS Roman Pavlyuchenko from Spartak Moscow in a £14million deal.

The 26-year-old has signed a five-year contract at White Hart Lane, with his arrival expected to precipitate the departure of Dimitar Berbatov for Manchester United.

Pavlyuchenko has scored nine times in 22 appearances for Russia to date, including three goals in the European Championship finals this summer.

Meanwhile, Spurs head coach Juande Ramos has refused to blame Berbatov for his side's slow start to the new campaign, which saw them earn their first point with a 1-1 draw at Chelsea.

He commented: "We never put any blame on Berbatov for the last two results.

"He wasn't there on the park, so it was those on the park, it was those on the pitch that were to blame and it was the same players that are responsible for putting in that great performance today and getting a fantastic result.

"It's nothing to do with Berbatov.

"With the arrival of Pavlyuchenko and anyone else who joins at the last minute, we'll have more options on the field.

"Up to now Darren Bent has been working hard on his own and we haven't had options."

Arsene Can Spend £30m - Fiszman

The Gunners are classically the most thrifty of the Premier League's so-called Big Four, as they rarely invest in the transfer market to the extent that Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool do.

While the official line from Ashburton Grove has always been that the funds are there for the mega-money buys, Wenger's consistent miserliness has cast a deep shadow of doubt over the club's actual financial position.

But Fiszman, speaking at the Champions League draw last night, stressed that the manager has full control over how his kitty is spent.

He said: "If Arsene said to us, ‘I want this guy and he’s £30million, can I buy him?’ the answer is, ‘Yes’.

"Absolutely yes. It would be no problem. It’s not our decision who he spends on nor will it ever be. We back him totally."

It is widely believed - and, indeed, has even been mentioned by Wenger - that Arsenal's lack of outlay on players stems from the recent construction of the Emirates Stadium.

The venue, which succeeded the old Highbury ground and has a capacity of 60, 355, was opened in 2006 and cost over £430million.

But Fiszman dismissed the notion that the club are hindered by outstanding construction costs, pointing to the increased revenue brought in by those extra 22,000 seats.

He said: "That’s total c***. Explain how the stadium bleeds us if it’s producing an extra £30m a year?"

And yet still Wenger refuses to spend big, despite the obvious need for an experienced midfielder in his young squad.

After two entertaining yet trophyless seasons, some have suggested that the Frenchman is more concerned with maintaining a stylish brand of football than winning silverware.

But Fiszman insisted: "Absolutely not. We want to win and win badly but Arsène believes in creating teams the way he does.

"There's a dual problem for him. If we were to buy names, you are talking about relatively mature players who need to be integrated into the way Arsène plays. They don't know our style and it also impacts on the youngsters who've been brought through."

Lampard Excited By Robinho Signing

It seems only a matter of when, and not if, Robinho completes a £28million switch from Real Madrid following his public plea to leave the Santiago Bernabeu.

The 24-year-old's capture will cap a summer of significant change at Stamford Bridge. New manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has already recruited Portugal playmaker Deco, and the addition of his fellow Brazilian will make the Blues' attack one of the most dangerous around - on paper, at least.

Lampard is thrilled that Scolari has brought in another creative genius, and he tipped Robinho to take the Premier League by storm.

"He is a fantastic player, I saw a lot of him last season watching the Spanish games," he said in The Sun.

"He has great flair, and something that would be nice to bring into our team.

"We have flair players already but he is another option and he could light up the league."

There are question marks over whether Robinho will adapt to the pace and power of English football - indeed, it is the query that surrounds most big-money imports.

But Lampard is confident that a player of the Selecao star's calibre will have little trouble adjusting.

He added: "He will have to get used to it because it is different to Spain, but he showed he is a world class player both at Madrid and for Brazil, and world class players adapt."

Cup-tied Pavlyuchenko to finalise Spurs move

Tottenham Hotspur hope to conclude the £12m purchase of Roman Pavlyuchenko from Spartak Moscow, despite the fact that he would be ineligible to play for them in the whole of their Uefa Cup campaign.

The striker appeared for Spartak two weeks ago in the first leg of the Russian club's Champions League third-round qualifier with Dynamo Kiev, which they lost 4-1 at the Luzhniki Stadium. He did not play in the return last night when they bowed out of the competition after another 4-1 defeat, a result that saw them drop into the Uefa Cup, where they will start together with Tottenham in the first round, the draw for which takes place in Monaco tomorrow.

The European governing body's rules state that "a player may not play Uefa club competition matches for more than one competing club in the course of the same season", and although one player who has already appeared in its competitions for another club can be registered from the start of the knockout rounds, he cannot if he has been "fielded for another club that is currently in the same competition". Spartak's result in Kiev and their drop in status meant misfortune, too, for Spurs.

Spartak have an agreement with Tottenham for the transfer of Pavlyuchenko who is expected in London to finalise personal terms and undergo a medical. He could yet be joined by his Russian team-mate Andrei Arshavin of Zenit St Petersburg, although the clubs are still to agree a fee.

There was a departure from White Hart Lane yesterday. The South Korean left-back Young-Pyo Lee has signed a one-year contract at Borussia Dortmund.

Meanwhile, Manchester United are hoping to resolve Dimitar Berbatov's protracted transfer from Tottenham by arranging the first face-to-face meeting between leading officials from the clubs. David Gill, United's chief executive, will be in Monaco today for the Champions League draw, followed by the European Super Cup final at the Stade Louis II tomorrow. At the same time, a Spurs delegation, including sporting director Damien Comolli and secretary John Alexander, will be in Monaco for the Uefa Cup draw.

Nothing has been officially scheduled, but Gill hopes to meet Comolli for the first time since United declared their interest in Berbatov earlier this summer. Gill will propose that any deal should include a condition that Tottenham drop their complaint against United for allegedly tapping up Berbatov. United have made two bids for the Bulgarian, an offer of £20.5m followed up by a £25m package last weekend.

Spurs say £30m for Berbatov or we stick him in the reserves

The game of brinkmanship between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United over the future of Dimitar Berbatov intensified last night when the London club indicated that they would be willing to consign the striker to the reserves rather than sell him to the Premier League champions for anything less than their £30m valuation of him.

Spurs, having rejected United's opening £20m bid for the 27-year-old Bulgarian, are awaiting an improved offer but relations between the clubs are strained after Tottenham complained to the Premier League alleging United had inappropriately pursued Berbatov.

The Spurs manager, Juande Ramos, spoke with the striker on Friday and deemed him not "focused enough" to feature against Sunderland on Saturday, with an attitude that would not "be good for the dressing room and the team effort".

Although that statement appeared to offer United the initiative in their pursuit of Berbatov as they prepared an improved and apparently final bid of £25m, Spurs moved swiftly yesterday to indicate that they were willing to relegate him to the second string, where he would remain even after the closure of the transfer window, should United not offer the full £30m. The Tottenham hierarchy would argue that he was not psychologically ready to represent the first team, leaving him in limbo with two years to run on his contract.

Compromise is still likely to be reached before Monday's midnight deadline, but Spurs are dismayed that no real interest has been expressed in the striker by any other club.

Tottenham's own pursuit of reinforcements will go down to the wire. They are still interested in the Ajax forward Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and the River Plate striker Radamel Falcao, who was watched by their scouts at the weekend. The merits of the Wigan forward Emile Heskey have also been discussed.

There remains the possibility of Andrei Arshavin, the Russia playmaker who has long been targeted by Ramos, moving to White Hart Lane after Zenit St Petersburg secured the Portuguese midfielder Danny - full name Daniel Miguel Alves Gomes - from Dynamo Moscow for a Russian-record £24m. Arshavin was left out of Zenit's side for their win over Krylya Sovetov at the weekend and, despite Tottenham insisting publicly that they had "moved on" in their search for recruits, the 27-year-old remains an attractive target.

Quaresma To Inter In 48 Hours

Quaresma’s prospected move to the Nerazzurri has become one of the transfer soap operas of the summer in Italy, ranking alongside Amauri and Ronaldinho's transfers to Juventus and Milan respectively.

Inter have been chasing the 24-year-old for what now seems like an eternity, as Jose Mourinho hopes to end his summer activity by bringing in a suitable winger for his 4-3-3 formation.

The main problem in closing the deal has been the failure to find a compromise over a transfer fee. However, the Gazzetta today claims that this issue is close to being resolved, and that Quaresma will become an Inter player within the next 48 hours.

Porto are demanding €30m for the wideman, but Inter are only prepared to pay €20m. Thus the Gazzetta says that the Italian champions will take Quaresma on a one-year loan, with the option of making the move permanent next summer for €25m.

Strangely though, Inter president Massimo Moratti did not seem too enthusiastic about Quaresma when asked yesterday about his possible signing.

“Quaresma? You always ask me these transfer questions but, to be honest, I don’t find that player exciting,” Moratti told Il Corriere Dello Sport.

“We have better players in our team who are doing so well.”

Luca Capofranco

Sergio Ramos Wants New Contract

Realizing that the club have the astronomical funds to go after Cristiano Ronaldo and now David Villa and the capacity to offer Robinho a new mega deal in an attempt to entice him to stay, Real Madrid rightback Sergio Ramos is ready to cash in by demanding a significant contract improvement.

According to El Mundo Deportivo, the player’s agent and brother, René Ramos scheduled a meeting with the club directors yesterday to request a raise from €6 million gross to €6 million net per season for his client.

Sergio Ramos was reportedly promised a review of his contract at the same time the club discussed a new agreement with Raúl, Guti and Iker Casillas, but the negotiations never reached completion for the 22 year old versatile defender.

It is no secret that the former Sevilla man has received countless offers from AC Milan and it looks as though he might just use that as a bargaining chip to get his contract improvement.

Spurs usher £25m Berbatov towards exit

Tottenham Hotspur have insisted it was they, and manager Juande Ramos, who took the decision to leave Dimitar Berbatov out of the squad that lost to Sunderland on Saturday and that it was not the unsettled striker who told them he did not want to play.

Berbatov is determined to fulfil his "dream" of signing for Manchester United and the Old Trafford club, having seen one bid of £20m rejected, are preparing another worth £25m, which they are confident will finally close the deal.

Tottenham value the Bulgarian at £30m and it seemed a strange tactic for them to issue a statement before the Sunderland game, which carried quotes from Ramos, explaining that Berbatov was not... "focused enough" and would not "be good for the dressing-room and the team effort". The statement effectively conceded that Berbatov was lost as a player to Tottenham and appeared to give United the upper hand in the wrangle.

Ramos had picked Berbatov the previous Saturday, albeit as a substitute, in the defeat at Middlesbrough and the player scored twice for Bulgaria in their 2-1 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina last Wednesday. "I believe he was superb [for Bulgaria]," Ramos said on Thursday. "Let's hope he has something left in the tank to help us gain a victory on Saturday." The Spaniard's subsequent meeting with Berbatov, though, ended with the player being dropped from the squad.

Ramos, who said that he did not know whether Berbatov was at the stadium on Saturday, was asked whether Tottenham should not pay him if he refused to play. "You should ask the club," he replied.

It was also put to him that Roy Keane, the Sunderland manager, said he would drive any unsettled player of his to whichever club he wanted. "That's an interesting point of view," mused Ramos. As a result Ramos had only one striker, Darren Bent, against Sunderland. "Of course there are repercussions [to the Berbatov situation]," he said. "We were only able to play with one forward and I had no forwards on the bench to change things."

Casillas: We Should Facilitate Robinho's Exit

Iker Casillas believes that a quick solution to the situation would be best for both parties, although he affirmed that the "news" won't affect them before their Spanish Super Cup clash with Valencia.

The Spanish international affirmed that if Madrid feel that Robinho wants to leave the club, they "will have to sell him, and they should sell him for a good price for the good of Real Madrid."

Casillas admitted that Robinho's sale would benefit the group "so that those of us who want to be here can have a united group who stand strong," and he added that if the Brazilian wants to leave "we will have to help him so that he enjoys his new club."

In respect to the possibility of David Villa joining Los Merengues, in the case that Robinho moves on, of course, Casillas expressed his "delight that a [Spanish] national team player can contribute to Real Madrid. He is a great player and also a good friend of mine," although he repeated that a decision has to be made by Schuster, Pedja Mijatovic or Calderon.