Do United Have To Make A Dodgy Donation Like Liverpool To Sign Spurs Berbatov?

Liverpool have finally managed to secure the deal for lifelong dipper, Robbie Keane. As the transfer was looking more and more likely to be completed, I questioned the behaviour of Tottenham Hotspur chairman, Daniel Levy, who just a week before accused Liverpool of being ‘disgraceful’ and ‘arrogant’.

United, like Liverpool, were reported to the Premier League by Levy with accusations of tapping up Spurs’ players. However, Spurs have taken £19 million for Robbie Keane and are probably hoping they can get the ridiculous £38 million asking price for Berbatov.

Sir Alex Ferguson needs to take note if he is serious about Berbatov (as he obviously cannot be serious about Thierry Henry!) and bribe Spurs in a similar fashion to Liverpool!

“They have apologised and agreed to make a donation to our club’s main charity,” said Levy today. “Tottenham has therefore agreed not to pursue its official complaint to the Premier League.”

It has been reported that Liverpool have parted with a sizeable amount of cash, sending it  to the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, as a ‘good will gesture’. There is also the possibility of a further £1.3 million being paid in ‘additional compensation’.

Berbatov travelled to Norwich with Spurs this week, although was not included in the squad. It is puzzling to think how Berbatov and the club can come back from this situation. The London club are playing a risky game. United won the league and European Cup without an out and out striker last season, so it’s not out of the question that we can achieve great things without Berbatov. However, Spurs are facing the possibility of keeping a player who doesn’t want to be there, and one who isn’t shy on letting his feelings of discontent be known! More recent reports suggest that Berbatov has been fined £40,000 by Spurs’ very own tapped up boss, Juande Ramos, for having a poor attitude in the pre-season, attributed to his desire to leave.

No one knows what is in this dossier that Levy has submitted to the Premier League, although there are claims there is far more to it than the quotes in The Sun that got his knickers in a twist. However, Fergie has greater options now if he knows we have been guilty of tapping up.

With Liverpool essentially admitting to tapping up Keane with their charity donation and agreement to possible extra compensation, it shows it wouldn’t be too difficult to get ourselves in the clear if we are guilty. However, football is in a rather sad state if clubs are happy to be paid off in this way, rather than make the guilty parties pay the real price of a guilty verdict from the Premier League.

So, what’s the solution here? Maybe it’s time we chucked a bit of money in the Spurs’ Foundation direction, and see if it has a similar effect on Levy’s decision to sell.