Berbatov top of Fergie's most wanted list as January transfer window looms?

So today former Spurs star Michael Carrick has gone public via the press telling Berbatov that he should follow him to Old Trafford. It's not exactly news that United want to sign the Bulgarian. It has been widely speculated that the Red Devils had an inquiry turned down for the striker last summer. Since then a lot has changed at the North London club with the sacking of Martin Jol and the arrival of his replacement Ramos, following on from the change of manager there has been the usual talk suggesting that Berbatov wants out, only for the striker to then say that all is well.

Only those within Berbatov's inner-circle will know the truth behind his intentions. What we do know is that it's only a few weeks before the January transfer window opens and Fergie has been given a wake-up call about the need to sign a fourth striker with the latest Wayne Rooney injury - which was sustained when the England striker came into contact with a 'metal object' in training -you do wonder if it was in fact Vidic's iron leg.

Personally, I'm not sure that Berbatov will fancy his chances of holding down a regular starting place and so a lot would depend on what Fergie has planned in terms of how he will convince the Bulgarian to sign, bearing in mind that Rooney and Tevez are his current number one strike partnership.

Perhaps the key to any deal will be the promise of rotating his four strikers, but Fergie has recently told Saha that he's very much third-fiddle behind Rooney and Tevez, which in some ways wasn't the brightest move by the manager, as competition for places needs to be fierce in all areas of the team and selection policy should be based on current form - it shouldn't be based on a pecking order.

No doubting Berbatov's advisors will have noted Fergie's recent comments about Saha and here again if the manager wants to sign the Spurs striker then he's going to have to go the extra mile by explaining how he sees the Bulgarian fitting into his selection policy.

Before any negotiations start in earnest, no doubting we shall be hearing a lot more talk from the likes of Carrick telling Berbatov that he should join United, it's all apart of the orchestrated courtship on the run-up to the transfer window opening.

I will of course be keeping tabs on all the stories linking potential new signings to United. Watch this space....