Former Premier League striker Dimitar Berbatov is eyeing a momentous return to England’s top tier
According to the BBC, former Manchester United and Tottenham forward is keen on making a return to the Premier League. The Bulgarian made a total of 178 appearances for the two clubs, and played another 51 games for the now Championship side Fulham.
The charismatic Bulgarian attacker had extremely humble beginnings in his native Pirin Blagoevgrad, after which he started his professional career with CSKA Sofia. In 49 appearances for Sofia, he racked up 26 goals and took a step after making a move to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen for a mere €1.3 million.
Since his move to Germany, sky has been the limit for Berbatov as he was heavily praised for his performances for his club as well as his national side. He also won the Bulgarian Player of the Year award a record seven times – including four consecutive wins from 2007 to 2010.
After moving to Spurs, he managed to score an astounding 23 goals in his first season in England, and replicated the tally in the following campaign as well. Manchester United – in the peak of their form at the time – came knocking at the door and convinced into letting go of their prized asset for a remarkable £30.5 mllion. Tottenham had also accepted a bid from Manchester City, but the Bulgarian had his heart set on a move to Old Trafford.
He hit the ground running, and despite an array of world-class attackers at the club, he quickly become one of the most influential figures at United. Known for his sublime first touch and exquisite passing ability, his first goal involvement at his new club was when he provided an assist to Carlos Tevez in Red Devils’ 2-1 defeat the hands of rivals Liverpool.
However, after three seasons at his opportunistic best, his performances began to decline and he was offloaded to mid-table side Fulham. Now, at 35 years of age, he is eyeing a return to England’s top-flight once again.
Which clubs would fancy signing the striker?
Sunderland are, at the moment, in a bit of dire straits. New manager David Moyes seemed to have lost the plot, and with no wins his first nine, he finds his side rooted to the foot of the league table. While Jermaine Defoe is one of the rare shining performers in the roster, a little help up front from Berbatov could undoubtedly give the Black Cats a great chance at avoiding relegation.
High flyers Tottenham and Everton might also fancy giving Berbatov a go as a backup option. In the absence of Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku respectively, the Bulgarian may prove to be an upgrade on the current under-performing duo of Vincent Janssen and Enner Valencia
Newly promoted sides Hull City and Burnley are the leagues lowest goal scorers (8) and it wouldn’t hurt their survival prospects to bring in a prolific attacker into the fold.
