Sir Alex Ferguson has said that striker Dimitar Berbatov will not be staying with Manchester United.
Berbatov scored just 12 Premier League goals during a disappointing campaign and came under scrutiny for a series of below-par performances. Amid reports that United were preparing to offload the Bulgarian, Ferguson has insisted that Berbatov remains a key part of his first-team plans.
“No, he will not – definitely not (be sold). There’s a problem with Manchester United in terms of expectation and media attention,” Ferguson told The Mirror. “There’s speculation every year and we’ve got to live with that hype. We know Dimitar is a good player and he will be with us next year.”
Ferguson has already said that he is not anticipating embarking upon a major spending spree this summer.
“We don’t have a great deal to improve on. The one area of concern last season was that we had 16 players missing through injury,” he added. “That impacts on the stability of the team as the season develops. But we always felt that when our back four was in place there was a sense of purpose and strength.”
Ferguson also praised the Glazer family, who own the club, for the support they offer despite much criticism.
”They’ve been great owners,” he told Toronto radio station FAN 590. ”They have supported me every way I’ve asked them.
”There’s no other reason to think they haven’t supported me. If you look at any time I’ve wanted a player they’ve provided the money; if you look at what we’ve done this season – and people don’t recognise this – we’ve spent over £20 million on young players.
”We’ve bought Chris Smalling, Mame Diouf and Javier Hernandez. People don’t realise how we’re structured and how we see our future of the club. We’ve always based it on a nucleus and foundation of young players developing in the club.”
