Berbatov to the Toon. Yeah, right.

Posted on May 31st, 2011 | 30 Comments |

Berbatov in Newcastle United transfer speculation.
Fuming after being left out
Rumour has it Newcastle United are after Dimitar Berbatov, although personally I think that’s a load of codswallop.

The Sun is allegedly the source of the rumour that Berbatov wants to come to Newcastle after being left out of Manchester United’s Champions League side that lost to Barcelona on the weekend.

And supposedly Alan Pardew would set fire to his gentleman’s area if it brought the striker to St James’ Park.

Manchester United paid Spurs £30.75m for Berbatov in 2009 but he will allegedly be available for a mere £7.5m now.

The Bulgarian forward has undoubted ability having scored 220 goals in 495 appearances at league level and 48 goals in 77 appearances for Bulgaria at international level.

But I think this is a load of rubbish personally.

First, Berbatov is 30, putting him over the age that’s generally considered club policy in terms of transfers these days (although I admit I’ve never heard either Ashley or Pardew state an absolute age beyond which a player is considered too old to join the Toon).

Second there’s his wages. They are estimated to be anything up to £80k or £90k/week, which is the sort of figure that would have Mike Ashley clutching his chest with coronary overload. Even if he takes a ‘substantial’ reduction we’re probably still talking a wage the club would consider to be huge for a 30 year old striker.

Finally, I’m not sure how Berbatov would fit in with the club’s ‘leave egos at the door’ sentiment. He can get a bit uppity if he doesn’t get his own way, such as in 2008 when he threatened to retire from international football over a little criticism. Maybe that’s a bit of an unfair slant on Berbatov and he’s just wanting to play regularly, but the continuation of a good team spirit must be (or should be) one of Pardew’s concerns as he recruits players.

It’s a well-known fact (to those that know it well) that Berbatov’s ‘hero’ is Alan Shearer and maybe that, combined with his omission from the Man Utd team on Saturday, is enough to start off a decent rumour.

I think it’s a non-starter, but what do I know?

NUFCBlog Author: Hugh de Payen I'm a baby-boomer of the punk rock persuasion, currently exiled in Somerset for crimes committed in a previous life where locals keep trying to poison me with something called 'scrumpy'. Hates sprouts, coat-hangers, Cilla Black, ornaments, Steven Seagull movies and 50 Cent (he's not worth 10). Hugh de Payen has written 634 articles on this blog.

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30 Responses

  1. would be pretty awesome if true tho!! with him, Ben Arfa, Cabaye, maybe Gervihno or gameiro, jonas that’s not a bad attacking line up there!!

  2. Krul

    Simpson Taylor Coloccini Enrique

    Gervinho Tiote Cabaye Ben Arfa

    Gameiro Berbatov

    Not to shabby aye?

  3. some how, i dont think he would be good for newcastle, financially and on the playing side too. too much of a cloud.

    & on that Gamerio thing – if he does not want 2 come i dont want him either.

  4. from a marketing point of view it would make sense, as berba is a big name in bulgaria.
    maybe he would be willing to take a pay cut if he was offered the number 9 shirt – his hero is, after all, one alan shearer.
    plus it might see shola flogged….

  5. i think wer getin a litlle carried away. lets be realistic, how much would he slow down our attacks, hez not getin any fitter and a financial disaster

  6. He comes from a town in a mining area of Bulgaria with a huge affinity with the notheast of england. His mother could never get him out of his no.9 shirt, even used to sleep in it. On the team moral side, his father is a convicted gang rapist so he should fit right in on away roasting sessions when playing away in the capital.

  7. Alreet folks! Just wanted to pop me head above the parapet again to point out that I posted the possibility of Berbatovs availability last night on a previous thread. (comment 129 I think). I don’t have any insider info or any contacts with journalists, which leads me to wonder if some Sun hack saw it and thought it merited some column inches in their rag. If so the BA$tard could at least give me some credit for it. :)

  8. goodoldjimgold….. his father is a convicted gang rapist so he should fit right in on away roasting sessions when playing away in the capital……….
    LOL

  9. Toby – Agree, that potential team would be a much improved team than that of this season, however I do think we need a new right back as Danny Simpson is not premiership quality.

  10. Personally speaking, I would literally cream my pants if we got Berbatov. He’s a player that thrives on adulation and would get it in spades if he delivered the goods at St James. If we also managed to acquire the other targets we’re looking at, I think I’d fill my pants so full of gentlemans relish that I’d pass out due to lack of fluids.

  12. i think you’re all kidding yourselves. why if we had the chance would we not sign berbatov? he finished top scorer in the league last season and he didnt even start regular. you lot need to get your head out of the clouds. he’s a different league to us.

  13. “I’d fill my pants so full of gentlemans relish that I’d pass out due to lack of fluids” – LOL

  14. @ MatthewJones: Exactly. Some people are crazy and will always find a negative in everything. We’d sign Messi and he’d be “too small. He won’t win any aerial battles will he?”. Since when would Newcastle turn their noses up at last seasons Premier League Golden Boot winner. He’s 30 which seems to be the new 26 in football. He’s got plenty years left in him because his game doesn’t rely on pace.

    As for shouts that he’d slow down our attacks, firstly, remember that goal he bagged where he started a counter attack by his own box. It’s a goal of the season contender. Secondly, Nolan & Ameobi. He’s a hell of a lot faster than those two together. Some people need to get real.

  15. Also, @ Andy R. – Completely agree. I don’t rate Simpson much anyway but when you look at his name on a ‘what the team could be’ teamsheet including the likes of Gameiro/Gervinho etc then he really stands out as the weak link in the team. If we want to progress, we need a new right back. Simples

  17. Agreed about Simpson. he makes some mistakes and also backing off oncoming players annoys me. Who could we get as a class replacement, though?

  18. I’d take Hutton from Spurs. Otherwise I’d trust Graham Carr to find a gem of right-back from continental Europe.

  19. would even start raylor ahead of simmo,who has definetley gone backwards recently

    also am selling a match worn les ferdinand nufc number 9 1995/96 home shirt from my collection,let us know at

    darcyclay1@sky.com if anybody interested

  20. @ Salty Sellars11 – That’s all Simpson does – Go backwards…. Literally.

  21. Berba is a good player but as prev. mentioned he’s not getting any younger, also his wage demands wouldnt fit into fat-lad’s mindset IMO

    we definately need at least cover in the fullback positions – Raylor is more midfield than defence in my book and Simpson has looked shakey at best sometimes

  22. Look, whatever you think about berbatov, personally I think he’s not what we want, he won’t sign for us. He’s always linked with us because of his love in with his Alan Shearer shirt. Before he joined ManUSA he was supposed to be coming to us because he was a boy hood NUFC fan. It then turned out he wasn’t a fan, but a fan of shearer, but slept in a NUFC shirt, then it was Shearer’s England shirt. Basically a load of bollox because they papers have to write something otherwise they’d be empty.

  23. MrT76 says:
    May 31, 2011 at 1:07 pm

    “Personally speaking, I would literally cream my pants if we got Berbatov. He’s a player that thrives on adulation and would get it in spades if he delivered the goods at St James. If we also managed to acquire the other targets we’re looking at, I think I’d fill my pants so full of gentlemans relish that I’d pass out due to lack of fluids.”

    Go and stand on the naughty step for five minutes you dirty, fithy boy! :-)

  24. Berb = spunky pants.

    On Simpson, he’s just been reported saying how he’s improved this season:

    “Playing week in, week out you get better,” Simpson told BBC Newcastle.

    “I’ve just been doing my job, and hopefully next season I can a few things to my game and push on.”

    Simpson added: “The Premier League is what every player wants to be in, and I’m no different.

    “It’s the longest run of games I’ve had and I want to keep it that way.”

    Should we keep the faith, given that he clearly likes being here? Could it be damaging to lower his morale playing as a sub? And who could be realistically get in??

    Also, Tomkins of West Ham just had England-u-21 call up – remember he being pretty good, centre back tho..

  25. Can’t believe there’s people who wouldnt want berbatov…isn’t he Manures top goal scorer in the league this year?!?

  27. 20 goals from Berba would guarantee us another season in the Premier league. That’s worth around 75 million quid.
    If the mentioned fee is correct and he’ll take 60k per week it makes perfect sense.
    Doubt it will happen but I’d be up for it.

  28. If rudolph had played berbatov consistently from the get go, he woulda been a smash hit by now & wouldn’t even be leaving manusa.
    But as it is, he needs to be played regularly & ‘loved’, some managers don’t get that & try to force their ‘scene’ on to a player, it doesn’t always come off.

    I’d have him for nowt or next to nowt, just to piss manure off.
    :)

  29. I love how the sun will report my news…. Berbatov is on way out of united and he is a Geordie at heart. But will we match fergies valuation

  30. Forgot to meantion Fergie wanted 15 mill. The fee he missed shearer on…. Settle for 12 maybe????

    Ashley to offer 70 per week with massive bonuses