£35m or bust
JUANDE RAMOS warned Chelsea last night: Dimitar Berbatov will cost
£35million.
Tottenhams boss is desperate to hang on to his superstar
striker.
And he made it clear anyone wanting to buy him must shatter the
British transfer record the £31m Chelsea paid AC Milan for Andriy
Shevchenko.
It was claimed this week the Blues would go to £26m. But clearly
that will not be enough.
Ramos admitted: I think a club would have to break the British
record to sign Berbatov.
At this moment, we think Berbatovs value is more than that price.
For us hes a very important player, not to say irreplaceable. We
dont want to sell him. But everyone has a price.
Spurs hope their monster valuation of the Bulgarian will deter
Chelsea, Manchester United and any other big club from an
approach.
Ramos added: Its not a question for me if a club can pay this.
Its normal that, for a player of this level, they would have to
pay such an amount because there are very few players of his
class.
But I fully expect that, at the end of January, I will still have
all my four strikers.
Chelsea have told Berbatov to prove he wants to play for
them.
Berbatovs representatives believe they have a verbal agreement on
a 3½-year Blues deal which would hoist his salary from £35,000 a
week to £90,000.
But agents acting for the club are insisting the player should
demand a transfer and force the situation.
Avram Grant wants a new hitman in place urgently.
If Berbatovs situation becomes protracted, Chelsea will move
instead for Boltons Nicolas Anelka. He would cost less than half
Berbatovs fee.
