Spurs await Premier League ruling over United's 'illegal' pursuit of Berbatov

Hands up if you want to leave Spurs: Berbatov is a wanted man

Spurs yesterday supplied a dossier of evidence from over the last year to back up their complaint against United.

Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson has questioned the validity of comments
attributed to him last week regarding the Bulgaria striker but that is understood to be only one of Spurs' concerns in the past 12 months.

The Londoners have been angered by United and Liverpool, who are chasing Robbie

Keane, and the two clubs will write back in response to the complaints before it is decided whether they will face a charge.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has accepted Berbatov and Keane want to leave White
Hart Lane but there is expected to be a fallout from the transfers if they go through, given Ferguson has been accused of 'sheer arrogance' and being 'hypocritical'.

Tottenham believe United have broken Premier League rules in the last year and are confident the evidence will support their complaint.

Berbatov, 27, interested  United before moving to Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen in 2006 and has been consistently linked with a move to Old Trafford for Champions League football since his successful rookie season in England.

Levy's criticism of Liverpool in his statement last week was less harsh than he was on United, although he has been upset by Rafael Benitez before.

In March 2006, the Liverpool boss claimed Spurs were 'desperate' to sell Jermain Defoe and take Djibril Cisse.

The exit of Berbatov and/or Keane could pave the way for Andrei Arshavin to move to White Hart Lane from Zenit St Petersburg.

The Russian champions yesterday claimed Tottenham are in the race to sign the
Russia star but need to increase their valuation.

Berbatov and Keane would be expected to raise in excess of £40million between
them, and Arshavin is valued by his club at more than half of that amount following his eye-catching Euro 2008.

'With Tottenham we have contacts,' said Zenit sporting director Konstantin Sarsaniya.

'This English club is really interested in acquiring Andrei but, as I understand, 27 million euros (£21.5million) is too high a price for them. For Spurs, it is unacceptable. Tottenham are ready to pay in the region of 20 million euros (£15.9million) for Arshavin.'

Arshavin stated earlier in the summer Barcelona would be his preferred destination but a move to the Catalan giants has yet to materialise.