City move was not option

For all the money Manchester City now have, their pursuit of Dimitar Berbatov showed they may struggle to attract the world's best players. Bought by a group led by Sheikh Mansour, City tried to sign the Bulgarian forward from under the noses of their rivals Manchester United on the Premier League's transfer deadline day. City eventually signed Robinho from Real Madrid, and although their approach for Berbatov was a huge statement of intent the player had no intention of moving to Eastlands.

"I would not even have thought about City. My only goal was to come to United," he said. "I heard about the offer City made and the money they wanted to spend. It did not make any difference. I just wanted to come here. "My ambitions and goals are big and I want to fulfil them at the biggest club in the world. That was my only goal - and I achieved it." @Email:sports@thenational.ae