Berbatov has handed in a transfer request at White Hart Lane in pursuit of a move to United, but Spurs are yet to accept a fee and are willing to play the Bulgaria striker in the reserves if their valuation is not matched.

Ferguson is thought to have other targets as well as Berbatov, and speaking generally about the potential of signings before Monday's deadline, he said: "I'm less optimistic so we'll carry on.

"I've no idea what's going on. It's very hard to get communication with some people in life."

Spurs are poised to sign Roman Pavlyuchenko from Spartak Moscow but the two deals are not connected and the Russian's arrival is not dependent on Berbatov leaving.

Spurs are also in the hunt for other players and have been linked with playmaker Andrei Arshavin from Zenit St Petersburg.

Berbatov appeared to be at the point of no return last weekend when he was considered psychologically unfit to play against Sunderland, which was thought to signal his departure to United.

United chief executive David Gill, who insisted he does not want to step into Brian Barwick's shoes at the Football Association, added on Sky Sports News: "Clearly there's not long to go, you'll have to wait with bated breath.

"We're working on it but I've been doing transfers for many, many years and know nothing is done until it's done, either in or out."


* Portsmouth have made a bid to sign Brazil's former Barcelona midfielder Thiago Motta.

And although manager Harry Redknapp admits to being pessimistic about the chances of securing the player from Spanish club Atletico Madrid, he has not ruled out up to two more foreign loan signings before Monday's transfer deadline.

Motta, who is back in action after a knee operation in February, has been on trial with Redknapp's squad and played in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Sunderland earlier this week.

Atletico are apparently willing to release him and Redknapp said: "He's been training with us and I liked him."

* Manchester City have completed the signing of Chelsea winger Shaun Wright-Phillips for an undisclosed fee.

The 26-year-old, who had a seven-year spell with City from 1998 until 2005, has signed a four-year contract after completing a medical.

Wright-Phillips told City's official website: "Obviously I'm delighted to come back to City and I just can't wait to get started again."

The winger left City for Stamford Bridge in July 2005, for a fee of £21million.

However, he started only 43 matches for the Blues and became frustrated at a lack of first-team action.

* Blackburn have signed Keith Andrews from MK Dons on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.


* Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon insists Robinho will not be sold unless the club land a replacement.

Reports had suggested that the Brazil international was close to agreeing a move to Chelsea, with a deal set to be struck before the weekend.

The player's agent Wagner Ribeiro had confirmed that a switch to England appeared imminent and that his client would be leaving the Bernabeu before the end of the transfer window.

However, with Real's top target, Valenica striker David Villa, remaining at Los Che, Robinho may be forced to stay in the Spanish capital.

Calderon certainly believes that is the case, stating once again that the player is going nowhere while he remains an integral part of the first-team fold.


* Stoke boss Tony Pulis has refused to rule out swoops for Liverpool's Sami Hyypia and Jermaine Pennant as he lines up his final summer deals.

Pulis has got a healthy list of target going into the final few days of the transfer window, with strengthening in defence, midfield and attack on his mind.

Liverpool veteran Hyypia has already been the subject of one failed £2.5million bid but the Reds are believed to be willing to let him leave to fund their own last-gasp transfer action.

They are also looking to offload Pennant and have turned down on offer of around £3.5million from Blackburn. Paul Ince could yet up that bid for the 25-year-old but Stoke are reported to have made the first move with a joint £7.5million offer for him and Hyypia.

It is unclear how close that is to the Reds' valuation but Pulis was at Anfield on Wednesday night and did not deny his interest in the pair when quizzed the following morning.


* Sweden striker Henrik Larsson is considering offers from three Premier League clubs.

Larsson returned to hometown club Helsingborgs in 2006 but his contract expires in November and he could now be set for a move back to England.

Helsingborgs are understood to be ready to sell Larsson for a small fee and a number of Premier League sides are interested, Sky Sports News understands.

Larsson enjoyed a successful loan spell with Manchester United in 2007 but the English champions are not thought to have made an approach for Larsson.

Aston Villa would also appear to have other targets in mind, ruling out a reunion for Larsson with his former Celtic boss Martin O'Neill.


* Arsenal target Jonathan de Guzman is unlikely to leave Feyenoord this summer, according to his agent.

Jan de Visser told Sportweek on Thursday that he does not believe any club will be willing to meet Feyenoord's valuation for his client.

"I don't expect a transfer of Jonathan this summer," he said. "The price that Feyenoord ask for him is too much for the interested clubs. And the closer you come to the end of the transfer window, the more expensive he will get."

De Guzman, 20, has been suggested as the answer to Arsene Wenger's shortage in midfield after the departures of Gilberto and Mathieu Flamini.

* Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan is refusing to discuss the prospect of losing James Milner.

The winger handed in a shock transfer request on Wednesday, with Aston Villa now reported to be leading the race for a player who enjoyed a successful loan spell in the Midlands back in 2005.

Keegan's reluctance to accept that the 22-year-old could be heading out of St James' Park is born out of the frustration which has seen him fail to add suitable numbers to his squad this summer.

The Toon chief has made it clear that he does not have a sufficiently big enough squad to compete in the higher echelons of the Premier League.

However, his words appear to have fallen on deaf ears as the club's board refuse to sanction more arrivals.


* Martin O'Neill will not attempt to rush Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry into signing a new contract if he is still with the club when the transfer window closes next Monday.

Barry's agent Alex Black claimed long-time Liverpool target Barry "will not leave Aston Villa" before the current window ends.

That will be a massive relief and a welcome bonus to Villa boss O'Neill who admits he was resigned during the close season to losing the services of the England player.

But O'Neill will adopt a softly softly approach when it comes to trying to persuade Barry to sign a new deal - a topic that was on the agenda before the 27-year-old made it clear last May he wanted to move to Anfield.

O'Neill said: "If Gareth stays with us for the foreseeable future, I will be really delighted. It will be a really big bonus for us. If Gareth is here this time next week, I will be relieved.

"I would have said only a few weeks ago that I was resigned to the fact Gareth would no longer be here - around about the time we played Reading in pre-season and when he didn't come with us to Malaga because I assumed everything would be done that week."