Let me follow my Old Trafford dream, pleads unhappy Berbatov

DIMITAR Berbatov this week pleaded with Tottenham to be allowed to follow his dream , writes Patrick Mooney. The Bulgarian striker, linked with a move to Manchester United for much of the summer, cut a forlorn figure on the substitutes bench on Saturday

DIMITAR Berbatov this week pleaded with Tottenham to be allowed to "follow his dream", writes Patrick Mooney.

The Bulgarian striker, linked with a move to Manchester United for much of the summer, cut a forlorn figure on the substitutes' bench on Saturday as Spurs lost their league opener at the Riverside.

But the Lilywhites turned down United's original bid of £20.5 million, saying they were not interested in letting Berbatov go for less than £30 million.

"I'm now in Tottenham but no one can disagree with me wanting to follow my dream," said Berbatov, ahead of his country's midweek friendly against Bosnia-Herzegovina. "If I was laughing when I was on the bench people would say I was an idiot. Eric Cantona never smiled but I don't know If anyone ever asked him why he didn't look happier."

Tottenham paid Bayer Leverkusen £10.9m for Berbatov, reported to have handed in a transfer request last Friday, two years ago. Last season he scored 23 goals in 52 appearances. But with Robbie Keane having already left for Liverpool, Spurs will be unwilling to sell another striker.

Juande Ramos is already looking at other forwards in case Berbatov does leave, although they appear to have cooled their interest in Zenit St Petersburg's Andrei Arshavin.

Zenit claim to have lowered their asking price for the Russian striker to below £20m and need to sell before they can think about buying anyone themselves.

Valencia's forward Diego Forlan and Roque Santa Cruz of Blackburn have both been linked with a move to Tottenham, who entertain Sunderland at the Lane on Saturday.