Berbatov to go on pre-season tour with United

Dimitar Berbatov of Manchester United looks thoughtful as he sits on the bench prior to the UEFA Champions League Group C match between Manchester United and FC Basel at Old Trafford

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has cleared the air surrounding Dimitar Berbatov’s future, stating that the Bulgarian will go on the pre-season tour with the rest of the squad.

The striker was kept on the bench for most of the last season owing Wayne Rooney‘s sublime form and the meteoric rise of youngster Danny Welbeck. The 31-year-old made just 21 appearances in all competition, many of them as a substitute, leading to speculations that the player will look for a move away from Old Trafford this summer.

However, Sir Alex has revealed that Number 9 is still a part of his plans and told MUTV:

“Nothing has happened with Dimitar and he’ll join the tour to South Africa and China. He’s a fantastic footballer. It wasn’t a great season for him last season, partly because I settled more with Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Chicharito.

“I don’t think I treated Dimitar unfairly but he can feel disappointed that he didn’t get more football. He’s a fantastic talent.”

Meanwhile, Galatasaray club president Unal Aysal confirmed the Turkish club’s interest in the former Spurs player. Tottenham, Lazio, Paris St. Germain and Bayer Leverkusen have also showed interest in the player rated around £6million. Aysal said in an interview:

“The Bulgarian is a great forward. I want him to join us but, of course, coach Fatih Terim has the final word.”