Jol plays down talk of Berbatov transfer
Fulham manager Martin Jol has moved to quash speculation linking the Cottagers with a move for out-of-favour Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov.
The West London outfit have recently been linked with a host of strikers as Jol looks to revamp his front-line, with the Bulgarian, Raul and Jean-Pierre Gignac all reported to have caught the Dutchman’s eye.
However, the former Tottenham chief doesn’t what to stifle the development of youthful duo Kerim Frei and Pajtim Kasami, both of which are on the books at Craven Cottage.
Jol and Berbatov worked together during their respective times at White Hart Lane, but the Fulham manager believes the striker wouldn’t swap Old Trafford for Craven Cottage.
"It is not our philosophy [to make signings like Raul]," commented Jol.
"He is a star but I have another star in that position, who will probably be the same as Raul in the future. Moussa Dembele is on the way to becoming a fantastic player.
"Bryan Ruiz
can also play there and we have a young player that can play in that position that you probably don't know in Kerim Frei. I have Pajtim Kasami, who is 19-years-old, so I would probably be crazy to get another player in that position.
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"Dimitar Berbatov is at Man United
and is quite happy. And if he moves I don't think it will be possible for our club to get him, you know?
"He is certainly a very good striker, he was very good for me, but it is just paper talk."
Nick Moore is a freelance journalist based on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. He wrote his first FourFourTwo feature in 2001 about Gerard Houllier's cup-treble-winning Liverpool side, and has continued to ink his witty words for the mag ever since. Nick has produced FFT's 'Ask A Silly Question' interview for 16 years, once getting Peter Crouch to confess that he dreams about being a dwarf.