Times have changed a lot since Dimitar Berbatov demanded a transfer from Tottenham to Manchester United in the summer of 2009 when he became aware of the Red Devils’ interest (Guardian).
Fast forward to 2019, Man Utd have finished above Spurs only once in the last six seasons since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club, and are currently languishing in 6th place in the Premier League table, while Tottenham have established themselves as Champions League regulars and currently final themselves a game away from the final of the competition.
However, Berbatov has claimed that he would still be willing to swap North London for Manchester if he got the chance to do so now.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, the Bulgarian said, “It is still Manchester United. It is still the badge, the history, the great players of their past, Old Trafford, the pulling power they have.
“Okay, you will be like, ‘Wait a minute, Spurs are playing in the Champions League, a new stadium, great training ground, better players’. But, in the end, I would choose United.”
The former Spurs striker also urged Mauricio Pochettino to get out of his comfort zone by taking on the Manchester United job.
He said “Sometimes, you need to get out of your comfort zone, even if you’re afraid of the consequences. You need to do that to test yourself. And Pochettino could be a United manager.”
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The 38-year-old also said that winning two Premier League titles with Man Utd was the greatest achievement of his career and delivered a warning to the likes of Harry Kane that he needed to have silverware to show for his work once his career is over.
Berbatov added, “I would tell any player now, ‘Make sure you win something’. You can tell your kids, ‘Here is my trophy cabinet’. If you’re Harry Kane and look back and there is nothing… I won the Premier League twice. Steven Gerrard, a great player, never.”
Spurs Web’s Opinion
While Manchester United certainly have the pulling power to still attract players, the atmosphere around the club seems rather toxic at the moment as opposed to Spurs which seems like a happy camp.
Young players picking between the two clubs would certainly be tempted to pick Tottenham due to the opportunity to work with Pochettino, play Champions League football, as well as due to the club’s fantastic infrastructure.
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