Dimitar Berbatov might not be leaving Manchester United after all

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Dimitar Berbatov might not be leaving Manchester United after all.

The striker has revealed that he could remain at Old Trafford next season to see out the remainder of his contract with the Red Devils.

After being left out of the United squad time and time again last season, it was largely expected that the Bulgarian international would find another club over the summer transfer window. However, it appears that Berbatov will not leave the club unless he receives an offer in the vicinity of the £90,000 per week he currently receives from the Red Devils.

According to Mirror Football, the 31-year-old would like to leave Manchester United after being treated unfairly at the club, but isn't willing to take a substantial pay-cut in the process.

The £30 million signing is reportedly being tracked by a number of clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, Galatasaray and Paris Saint-Germain, but all are unlikely to offer the £15 million that would be needed to move the striker from Old Trafford.

Therefore, it appears that Berbatov will see out his contract at United, and then name his price as a free agent next year and see if he can pick up the contract he so desperately desires.

Sir Alex Ferguson appears to be unfazed by the situation, as Berbatov would continue to provide depth up front, particularly after the departure of Michael Owen.

The Red Devils boss has defended the way he handled the 31-year-old last season, and expects him to join United on their preseason tour of South Africa.

Nothing has happened [transfer-wise] with Dimitar and he'll join the tour [of South Africa]. He's a fantastic footballer. It wasn't a great season for him last season, particularly because I settled with Rooney and Welbeck and Chicharito [in attack].

I don't think I treated Dimitar unfairly, but he can feel disappointed he didn't get more football.

The Bulgarian striker made just 21 appearances for the club last season and has rapidly declined in the pecking order at Manchester United. The recent signings of Shinji Kagawa and Nick Powell are also unlikely to help his case for more minutes on the pitch, with Berbatov likely to sit as cover for Rooney and Welbeck all season long.

Having said that, it doesn't seem like that role matters too much to Berbatov, who would rather warm the bench at Old Trafford on his current salary than travel halfway around the world to play in a lesser league for the same amount of money.

Nothing appears to be happening in terms of offers for the striker, with the most likely outcome being that Berbatov will remain at Manchester United for the season.

It's great news for the team, who will happily retain a player of Berbatov's class to add depth to their squad, but I still wonder whether it's the best thing for the 31-year-old.

He's likely to receive less minutes, have less of an impact and that could affect the price that he puts on himself at the end of next season as a free agent.

Still, if he wants to remain at Old Trafford, he'll probably remain at Old Trafford.

Just don't expect him to feature prominently—if at all—throughout the upcoming English Premier League season.